Somali World Cup referee denied US entry despite valid visa
6 verified3 unconfirmed
Omar Artan, a referee from Somalia who was set to become the first Somali official to work a FIFA World Cup finals, was denied entry to the United States after arriving at Miami International Airport and has been dropped from the tournament. Artan held a valid visa and what he described as the correct paperwork, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection said he was deemed inadmissible due to “vetting concerns” without providing further details. FIFA stated it was not involved in host-country immigration decisions and confirmed that Artan’s status will not be changed at present, meaning he cannot officiate at the 2026 World Cup. Somalia is among several countries subject to travel restrictions imposed under the Trump administration, which has raised concerns about possible entry issues for visitors from those nations during the tournament. Artan expressed disappointment, saying he had the proper documents and was simply trying to live his dream of refereeing at the World Cup. The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19.
What’s verified
Omar Artan was due to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup finals.
He was denied entry to the U.S. at Miami International Airport and subsequently dropped from the World Cup by FIFA.
Artan held a valid visa and said he had the “right papers.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated he was found inadmissible due to “vetting concerns” but did not specify the reasons.
Somalia is one of the countries on a travel ban list introduced by the Trump administration.
FIFA said it is not involved in host-country immigration processes and that Artan’s status will not change at present.
Not yet confirmed
The specific reason for Artan’s denial of entry has not been publicly disclosed by U.S. authorities.
According to one source, Artan underwent an 11-hour immigration interview and was held in a detention cell before being put on a flight to Istanbul; the other source does not mention these details.
It remains unclear whether diplomatic efforts by Somali officials could still allow Artan to participate in the tournament.
Key figures
Omar Artan (Somali referee)
Pierluigi Collina (referees’ chief, referenced in one source)
Andrew Giuliani (White House Task Force on the World Cup, referenced in one source)
Gianni Infantino (FIFA president, referenced in one source)
Sources: BBC News, abcnews.com
