Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan denied entry to the US
Referee, who was due to be first official from his country to be involved in a World Cup game, had a diplomatic passport but was turned away in Miami
Monday June 08 2026, 5.58pm,
Fifa confirmed that Artan would now not be officiating at the World Cup Getty
A World Cup referee has been denied entry to the United States.
The Somali referee Omar Artan, who was set to be the first official from his country to officiate at the World Cup, was turned back in Miami after flying in from Turkey, according to Somalian government officials.
It was reported that Artan, one of the top referees in Africa, had obtained a diplomatic passport because Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the Fifa referees committee, with Artan during the Under-20 World Cup in Chile last year Getty
“Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior advisor to Somalia’s ministry of youth and sports and a former national team captain, told the French news agency AFP.
Artan had a valid visa for the US but has flown back to Istanbul, 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,” Abshir added.
Artan was named referee of the year for 2025 by the Confederation of African Football.
Fifa said in a statement that Artan would not now be a World Cup referee.
A spokesman 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.”