Somali referee barred from World Cup after US entry denial

A Somali referee set to become his country's first to officiate a World Cup match has been denied entry into the US, ending his involvement in the football tournament.

Omar Artan was turned away on Saturday after arriving at Miami International Airport and told to return to Istanbul, from where he had flown. He was named Africa's best referee in 2025.

United States Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry due to "vetting concerns" that made him "inadmissible".

Artan said he remained positive despite the circumstances and was focused on his next refereeing challenges.

"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 and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions."

Fifa: Artan unable to officiate at 2026 World Cup

World football's governing body said it could not influence the US decision and confirmed Artan's removal from the World Cup.

"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," a FIFA spokesperson was quoted by AFP as saying.

Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser at Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports, criticised the move, saying it damaged not only Artan but also "football's commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play".

Under President Donald Trump, the US administration has imposed travel bans on nationals from several countries as part of its immigration crackdown. Somalia is among those affected, though exceptions can be granted.

Did national teams face any issues?

Artan's case is not the only problem faced by teams and officials travelling to the US for the tournament, which will also be hosted by Mexico and Canada.

Iran's national team was forced to move its base camp from the US to Tijuana, Mexico, after Washington denied visas to more than a dozen delegation members. The decision came amid the joint US-Israeli war with Iran.

Iran's players, coaches and staff will now only be allowed into the US on matchdays, creating travel demands that could affect performance. Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand and Egypt in Los Angeles, with a potential group decider against Belgium in Seattle.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei criticised the treatment of his team.

"Usually in these tournaments, before technical matters, ethical and human considerations must be respected -- which I think for us it was not the case," he said.

Other teams have also faced difficulties.

Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was questioned for seven hours after arriving at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. An Iraqi photographer travelling with the team was denied entry.

The World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, is the largest ever, featuring 48 national teams.

The tournament kicks off on Thursday, with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City.