World Cup 2026: Somali referee Omar Artan to miss tournament after being barred from entering US
Omar Artan, who would have been the first Somali to referee the World Cup finals, was removed from the list of officials after being denied entry to the United States.
Artan, who was selected as the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) male referee of the year, was banned from entering the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Türkiye.
No reason was given by US immigration authorities for Artan’s repatriation, but Somalia is one of several countries on the travel ban list implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration.
World governing body Fifa said Artan would miss the tournament after consulting with US officials.
“Fifa can confirm that match official Ömer Abdulkadir Artan will not be able to train or officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry to the United States,” the statement said.
“Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa decisions, and we have been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not change at this time.
“Similar to previous FIFA events, the host government decides who gets a visa and who is accepted into their country.”
A senior adviser to Somalia’s ministry of youth and sports confirmed to the BBC that entry had been refused and said Artan was traveling with valid documents.
A Somali embassy official in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan’s diplomatic passport was issued to facilitate his travel, especially after previous visa difficulties.
The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has contacted FIFA seeking urgent clarification.
Speaking to the BBC World Service, Andrew Giuliani, who heads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, said: “But I cannot deport on this issue. [derogatory information] “I can tell you that this was the correct decision by Customs and Border Patrol on this matter, and I support that decision.”
Artan was among the 52 referees announced by FIFA to officiate the World Cup finals to be held in Canada, Mexico and the USA between June 11 and July 19.
Artan, who was in charge of the Somali national football league championship, became a Fifa referee in 2018 and officiated at the African Cup of Nations (Afcon).
