Trump administration bars Africa's top referee from World Cup over terror links claim

Somalia’s Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been barred from officiating at the 2026 World Cup after US Customs and Border Protection denied him entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday, citing alleged links to “suspected members of terror organisations”. FIFA confirmed Artan, who was named Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, will not take part in the tournament, which begins this week across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The Trump administration confirmed on Tuesday that Artan had been deemed a national security threat following what it described as a secondary inspection. An administration official, speaking anonymously, said: “Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered. President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country, full stop.”

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott was unapologetic about the decision. “I don’t really care what you do for a living. The law is still the law,” Scott said at a Washington event. “If you don’t meet the qualifications to come into the country, we’re not letting you in just because we want you to referee a game.”

Artan had been issued a valid visa prior to his arrival and would have been the first Somali official to referee at a World Cup. Somalia’s government said it had attempted to negotiate with both the US and FIFA to resolve the situation but had received no official explanation for the denial. The country’s sports ministry said: “His international achievements are a source of honour and pride for the Somali people.”

FIFA has faced criticism for its apparent inability to intervene. A spokesperson said the organisation “is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications”, adding that authorities had informed FIFA that Artan’s status would not be changed.

Artan’s case is not isolated. Several members of Iranian staff have also been denied entry to the United States, Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was subjected to hours of questioning upon arriving in Chicago, and the Senegal and Uzbekistan squads underwent extensive security checks after entering the country. The US has imposed sweeping travel restrictions on 12 nations, including Somalia, under the Trump administration.