A referee poised to make history at the World Cup has been removed from the tournament after being denied entry into the United States.
Visa denial sidelines historic official
Somalian match official Omar Artan, who was scheduled to become the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup, was unable to travel to the competition after being stopped by US Customs and Border Protection officers upon his arrival in Miami.
The tournament, which kicks off on June 11 and is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will now proceed without one of Africa's top referees.
FIFA confirms exclusion
FIFA confirmed that Artan would not participate and issued a statement explaining the situation. A FIFA spokesperson said: '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. 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.'
Artan arrived in Miami from Istanbul on Saturday but was deemed inadmissible by US authorities due to what Customs and Border Protection described as 'vetting concerns.' No further details were provided.
Background and reaction
The 2025 Confederation of African Football Referee of the Year had been expected to play a significant role during the tournament. The case has drawn attention because Somalia is among the countries affected by immigration restrictions introduced by US President Donald Trump as part of a broader crackdown on immigration. Trump has previously referred to Somali immigrants as 'garbage.'
According to reports, Artan believed he held the correct documentation to work in the United States during the World Cup. In a statement released after the decision, he said: 'I remain in a positive mood and focused on the next challenges in my career. 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. 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.'
Wider visa issues
The incident is the latest visa-related problem to affect the World Cup build-up. Iran, another nation impacted by US travel restrictions, has already reported difficulties involving members of its backroom staff ahead of the tournament, despite players receiving permission to enter the country for matches.
