Somali referee Omar Artan, who was set to be the first from his country to officiate at the World Cup finals, has been dropped from the list of officials after he was denied entry to the United States.
Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year, was denied entry into the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey.
US immigration authorities have not provided a cause for Artan’s repatriation, although Somalia is one of the nations on President Donald Trump’s travel restriction list.
After discussing with US authorities, FIFA announced that Artan will miss the competition.
“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,” read a statement.
“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.”
Referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina has established a training facility in Miami for the tournament’s 52 officials and 88 assistant referees.
All on-field officials must remain at the base in Florida for training, preparation, and security.
As a result, Artan would be unable to remain outside of the United States and referee only matches in Canada or Mexico.
A top adviser to Somalia’s ministry of youth and sports confirmed the refusal of admission to the BBC, claiming Artan was traveling with legal documentation.
A Somali embassy officer in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan’s diplomatic passport was provided particularly to facilitate his trip after previous visa issues.
Artan told Reuters that despite the circumstances, he was in a good mood and focused on the next challenge.
“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.”
The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has contacted FIFA for immediate clarification.
Andrew Giuliani, who oversees the White House Task Force on the World Cup, told BBC World Service: “While I can’t go into the derrogatory [derogatory information], I can tell you that it was the right decision by customs and border patrol, and I support that decision.”
The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19.
Artan began his career as an official in the Somali national football league championships before becoming a FIFA referee in 2018 and officiating in the Africa Cup of Nations.
