Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will miss the FIFA World Cup after being denied entry into the United States, despite reportedly holding a valid visa, FIFA has confirmed.
Artan, who was among the 52 match officials selected to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, was set to become the first Somali referee to take charge of a World Cup match.
According to Cisse Aden Abshir, an adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, Artan arrived at Miami International Airport on a flight from Istanbul on Saturday but was refused entry by U.S. immigration officials following what was described as a routine inspection. He has since returned to Istanbul, where he had been staying.
“Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” Abshir said. “Denying him entry to the United States and preventing him from officiating scheduled matches harms not only him personally but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit and the spirit of fair play.”
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the referee was found to be inadmissible after inspection but did not disclose the specific reason.
“Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry,” CBP said in a statement.
The agency added that all travellers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches and staff, are subject to inspection and that admissibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security and immigration information available at the time.
While CBP did not specify the grounds for the decision, Somalia is among the countries included in a travel ban introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration.
FIFA later confirmed that Artan would be unable to participate in the tournament.
“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,” the governing body said.
“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 became a FIFA-listed referee in 2018 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations, earning recognition as one of Somalia’s leading football officials.