Angry government statement… Somalia reacts to its rule’s ban from the World Cup

Somalia defended its referee Omar Artani after he was banned from entering the United States, preventing him from becoming the first Somali referee to take part in World Cup finals.

Artan was due to travel to Miami last weekend to join the team of referees participating in the tournament starting next Thursday, but had to return to Turkey, where he started.

The US immigration service did not accept the diplomatic passport he acquired and refused him entry to the American territory, without revealing the real reasons for this decision.

Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has expressed its full solidarity with international referee Omar Abdelkader Artan after he was banned from entering the United States, denying him the historic opportunity to become the first Somali referee to officiate at the 2026 World Cup finals.

The ministry confirmed in an official statement that all diplomatic attempts to bypass American procedures had failed, resulting in the Somali referee being removed from the list of referees for the tournament hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

The statement highlighted that Artan’s outstanding career at the regional and international levels is a source of pride for Somali sports, noting that the ministry will continue to support and assist him to ensure his participation in upcoming international tournaments.

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The Ministry concluded its statement by thanking the Somali people, the sports community and all those who were by the side of referee Artan at this stage.