Somali referee Omar Artan has expressed disappointment after being denied entry into the United States, a decision that ended his hopes of becoming the first Somali official to referee at a FIFA World Cup finals.
Artan was removed from FIFA’s list of match officials for the 2026 World Cup after he was stopped by immigration authorities at Miami International Airport and later repatriated to Turkey.
Speaking to The New York Times on Tuesday, Artan said he could not understand why he was refused entry despite carrying valid travel documents.
“I am very, very disappointed. I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup,” Artan said.
The 2025 Confederation of African Football Men’s Referee of the Year revealed that he underwent an extensive immigration interview lasting about 11 hours before being denied entry.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” he said.
According to Artan, he was subsequently taken to a holding cell where he spent several hours before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
No official reason has been provided by US immigration authorities for the decision. However, Somalia is among several countries affected by travel restrictions introduced under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Following discussions with US authorities, FIFA confirmed that Artan would be unable to officiate at the tournament.
“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,” the governing body said in 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.”
A senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports told the BBC that Artan had travelled with valid documents, while a Somali embassy official in Nairobi said his diplomatic passport had been issued specifically to facilitate his travel after previous visa difficulties.
The decision means Artan will miss the World Cup entirely, despite the tournament also being staged in Canada and Mexico. FIFA requires all selected referees and assistant referees to be based at a training and preparation centre in Miami before and during the competition.
Andrew Giuliani, who heads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, defended the decision when speaking to BBC World Service.
