Somali referee Omar Artan denied entry to United States ahead of World Cup

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has reportedly been denied entry into the United States despite being selected to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Artan is said to have been stopped by immigration officials upon arrival at Miami International Airport and was subsequently returned to Istanbul on Monday.

The development comes just days before the start of the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where Artan had been appointed as one of Africa's representatives among the tournament's match officials.

The Somali Embassy in Nairobi confirmed on Friday that it had facilitated the referee's travel using a diplomatic passport.

Artan is regarded as one of Africa's leading referees and was recently named Africa's Best Referee for 2025 at the CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco.

The incident is likely to raise questions given his official role at FIFA's flagship tournament. Somalia is among countries affected by U.S. travel restrictions, with most Somali nationals facing limitations on certain visa categories, although exemptions may apply for diplomats and individuals deemed to be travelling in the U.S. national interest.

Neither FIFA nor the Somali Football Federation had publicly commented on the matter at the time of writing.

Artan's status for the tournament remains unclear, with the World Cup set to kick off this week across North America.