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FIFA confirmed on Monday that Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry into the United States for the 2026 World Cup, will miss the upcoming tournament.
Artan arrived at Miami International Airport over the weekend but was not allowed to enter the country despite reportedly having a valid US visa . The award-winning Somali referee was among the 52 referees announced to officiate matches in the tournament, which takes place across the US, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA confirmed that Artan would be unable to train and officiate at the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the country. The global football body clarified that it has no role in the host nation’s immigration or visa decisions and said it was informed of Artan’s status directly by the authorities.
"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.
"FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present," a FIFA spokesperson said.
Speaking to The Athletic, US Customs and Border Protection said that Artan was determined inadmissible to the country "due to vetting concerns," but did not elaborate on the details.
Despite the setback, Artan remains in high spirits, saying, "I would like to thank FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football) for all their support, and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future."
Also Read | Iran calls out US over alleged withdrawal of World Cup ticket allocation for its supporters
Artan is a top Somali official who was recently named Africa’s best referee for 2025 at the CAF Awards and was supposed to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup.
Artan arrived at Miami International Airport over the weekend but was not allowed to enter the country despite reportedly having a valid US visa . The award-winning Somali referee was among the 52 referees announced to officiate matches in the tournament, which takes place across the US, Canada and Mexico.
'FIFA not involved in host country immigration processes'
FIFA confirmed that Artan would be unable to train and officiate at the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the country. The global football body clarified that it has no role in the host nation’s immigration or visa decisions and said it was informed of Artan’s status directly by the authorities.
"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.
"FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present," a FIFA spokesperson said.
Why was Artan denied US entry?
Speaking to The Athletic, US Customs and Border Protection said that Artan was determined inadmissible to the country "due to vetting concerns," but did not elaborate on the details.
Despite the setback, Artan remains in high spirits, saying, "I would like to thank FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football) for all their support, and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future."
Also Read | Iran calls out US over alleged withdrawal of World Cup ticket allocation for its supporters
Artan is a top Somali official who was recently named Africa’s best referee for 2025 at the CAF Awards and was supposed to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup.
