Somali referee Artan barred from 2026 World Cup after US entry denial

Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not referee any match at the 2026 World Cup. The Somali referee, despite being selected by FIFA to officiate at the tournament, was turned away at Miami International Airport on June 6 after being deemed “inadmissible” by American authorities following a routine inspection.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed the incident in a statement: “The traveler was subjected to additional inspection, a routine step. Following the inspection, the traveler, a World Cup referee, was found inadmissible due to issues related to background verification and was denied entry to the territory.” Artan was arriving from Istanbul.

FIFA acknowledged the decision without openly contesting it. “FIFA confirms that referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will neither train nor officiate at the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the United States,” the organization stated, clarifying that it “does not intervene in the immigration procedures of the host country, including visa issuance.” It added that it had been informed by authorities that “Mr. Artan’s status would not be changed for the time being.”

FIFA recalled that “it is ultimately the government of the host country that determines who receives a visa and who is admitted to its territory,” a formulation reflecting its desire not to antagonize Washington.

Somalia is on the list of countries whose nationals are subject to travel restrictions to the United States since the return of the Trump administration. The U.S. president made particularly harsh remarks about the country during a government meeting, stating notably: “Their country is worthless (…). Their country is rotten, and we don’t want them here.”

A native of Mogadishu, Artan thus becomes the first referee officially barred from a World Cup for reasons related to the host country’s immigration policies, raising questions about the United States’ capacity to welcome all participants designated by FIFA for the tournament scheduled for 2026.