The United States denied entry over the weekend to soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who had been expected to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup match. A FIFA spokesperson confirmed on Monday that Artan would not be able to train and officiate at the World Cup, which begins on Thursday, after being refused 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,' the spokesperson said.
Despite the crushing setback, Artan expressed gratitude to football's world governing body and affirmed his determination to continue pursuing his dream of officiating at the highest level of the sport.
'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.'
US Customs and Border Protection, without naming Artan, stated that a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns. The agency did not elaborate on those concerns but said the referee underwent routine additional inspection before being denied entry.
'Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,' the CBP said.
The Trump administration's strict immigration policies have been a point of concern ahead of the World Cup. Last year, Washington imposed a sweeping travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia. Artan, who was named the Confederation of African Football's Best Male Referee for 2025, had a valid visa, according to media reports. Somalia's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Iran team has also faced issues ahead of the World Cup, with players only receiving visas last week. They have been told they must fly in and out of US territory on the same day of their matches from their base in Mexico. All of Iran's group stage games are to be held in the US. Some support staff have not been given the visas they applied for, with the US State Department telling the BBC that they would not allow Iran to 'abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences.'
