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Somali referee Omar Artan, who is set to become the first from his country to officiate at a World Cup final, has been denied entry to the United States.
Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Referee of the Year, was denied entry to the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey.
No reason for Artan’s repatriation has been issued by U.S. immigration authorities, but Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump.
A senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed the denial of entry to the BBC and said Artan was traveling with valid documents.
An official at the Somali embassy in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan’s diplomatic passport was specifically issued to facilitate his travel after earlier visa complications.
The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has contacted FIFA seeking an urgent explanation.
Speaking to the BBC World Service, Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House task force on the World Cup, said: “While I can’t go into the nitty gritty on this, I can tell you it was the right decision by Customs and Border Patrol and I support that decision.”
Artan is one of 52 referees announced by FIFA to officiate at the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 to July 19.
An official of the Somali National Football League Championship, Artan became a FIFA referee in 2018 and has officiated at the African Cup of Nations (Afcon).
