Somali Referee Omar Artan Misses World Cup After US Banned Entry

Sat Jun 13 2026 11:52:04 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Somali referee, slated to be first from his country at the 2026 World Cup, denied US entry amid travel‑ban politics, missing the tournament.

Omar Artan, a 2025 CAF men’s referee of the year and Somalia’s first World Cup official, was barred from entering the United States at Miami International Airport and now remains in Turkey, effectively ending his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled across Canada, Mexico and the US. The removal follows US immigration policies stemming from a travel ban list dating back to former President Trump's administration, highlighting the intersection of sports, diplomacy and immigration. FIFA confirmed that Artan will not be able to train or officiate at the finals, citing that the host nation ultimately determines visa admission. The Somali Football Federation has demanded clarification, while officials from Somalia maintained that Artan’s documents were valid and that the denial was unwarranted. The incident raises concerns about travel restrictions affecting sporting officials and the broader implications for global sporting events.

Omar Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football men's referee of the year, was barred from entering the United States at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey.

No reason for Artan’s repatriation has been issued by US immigration authorities, but Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by former President Donald Trump’s administration.

After speaking to US authorities, FIFA said Artan will miss the 2026 World Cup finals.

“FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States,” read a statement from the governing body.

“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.”

In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.

A senior adviser to Somalia’s ministry of youth and sports confirmed the denial of entry to the BBC and said Artan had been travelling with valid documents.

A Somali embassy official in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan’s diplomatic passport had been issued specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties.

Speaking in a statement to Reuters, Artan said that despite the circumstances he was in a positive mood and focused on the next challenge.

“I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,” he said.

“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”

The Somali Football Federation has contacted FIFA seeking urgent clarification.

Speaking to BBC World Service, Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, said: “While I can’t go into the derogatory information, I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision.”

Artan was among the 52 referees announced by FIFA to officiate at the World Cup finals running from 11 June to 19 July.

An official in the Somali national football league championships, Artan became a FIFA referee in 2018 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).