Fury Erupts as Top World Cup Referee Denied Entry to U.S.
A top World Cup referee was barred from the United States and forced to fly home, days before the tournament kicks off on U.S. soil.
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Omar Abdulkadir Artan, 34, was set to become the first Somali official to take charge of a soccer World Cup match, having been named Africa’s best referee in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football. He landed at Miami International Airport on Saturday after a flight from Istanbul, believing he held a valid work visa—but was pulled aside, refused, and sent back.
FIFA confirmed the ban on Monday. Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States,” a spokesperson said, as reported by CBS News. The body insisted it plays no part in immigration calls, noting a “host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
The Trump administration was unapologetic. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CNN that Artan underwent “additional inspection” on arrival, then was “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.” The agency gave no further details on what those concerns were.
Somalia is one of the 39 countries hit by Donald Trump’s travel ban, signed last year on the grounds of national security. The order carves out an exemption for World Cup athletes and staff, but border officers retain wide discretion to wave people through—or turn them back.
Somalia is among the so-called “s—hole countries” from which Trump wants to stop all immigration. The 79-year-old president has referred to Somali immigrants as “garbage” and has described the East African nation as “the worst country in the world.”
The decision sparked anger across the soccer world and beyond.
Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, told Agence France-Presse that Artan is “among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community.” He argued the snub “undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play.”
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations went further. Its deputy director, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, told Al Jazeera that the U.S. “should not ban anyone from our shores simply because of their race or their ethnicity.” He added: “Doing so is an affront to our values and the law.”
Artan struck a gracious note despite the blow. “I thank FIFA and CAF for their support and will maintain my refereeing standards as I look ahead,” he said. “I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup.”
He is not the only one to have got tangled in red tape at the tournament. Iran’s national team has faced its own visa headaches, with federation president Mehdi Taj saying his squad was cleared to enter the U.S. just one day before its match, while management staff, media, and an executive director were still locked out.
The World Cup finals, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, kick off Thursday.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Homeland Security, FIFA, and the Confederation of African Football for comment.
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