Somali football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing Reuters, the 34-year-old referee was stopped at Miami International Airport despite holding a valid US visa. Artan had arrived from Istanbul ahead of the start of the tournament.
According to the report, US border authorities subjected the official to additional screening before determining that he was not admissible to enter the country. The exact reasons behind the decision have not been disclosed.
FIFA has confirmed that Artan will no longer be part of the officiating team for the World Cup. The governing body also emphasized that immigration decisions remain the responsibility of the host country's authorities and are outside FIFA's control.
The development is particularly significant because Artan was set to make history as the first referee from Somalia to officiate a World Cup match. His appointment was seen as a landmark achievement for Somali football and African refereeing.
Artan was named Africa's Referee of the Year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Following the entry denial, he returned to Istanbul, where he had been residing in recent months.
