Somali Referee Denied US Entry Ahead of World Cup Despite Valid Visa

A Somali referee appointed to officiate the 2026 World Cup has been denied entry to the United States, Somali officials said, days before the tournament kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan was stopped on arrival at Miami International Airport on Monday and placed on a flight back to Istanbul despite holding a valid US visa, according to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports. US authorities did not give a public reason for the refusal.

Artan, a FIFA referee since 2018, was named the Confederation of African Football’s Men’s Referee of the Year for 2025 and previously officiated at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He was one of 52 match officials selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 finals, and would have been the first Somali to take charge of matches at a World Cup.

“Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior advisor to the ministry. The decision, he added, “undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play.”

Neither the US State Department nor FIFA had commented at the time of publication.

Somalia is among the countries subject to the broad travel restrictions reinstated under President Donald Trump’s administration. Rights groups have criticised the measures as falling disproportionately on Muslim-majority and African nations. It was not immediately clear whether FIFA would seek to have Artan’s appointment reinstated or assign another official in his place.

The denial comes amid strained relations between Washington and Mogadishu. The United States suspended assistance to Somalia’s federal government in January over allegations that aid had been misappropriated — claims the government denies — and Somalia is separately facing a domestic dispute over the extension of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s mandate.

Artan remained in Istanbul on Monday. The 2026 World Cup, the first to be hosted across three nations and to feature 48 teams, opens later this week.