Somali referee Omar Artan denied US entry, ruled out of the World Cup

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, CAF's referee of the year and the first Somali set to officiate a men's World Cup, was turned back at Miami airport. FIFA says he can no longer take part.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan was set to make history at the 2026 World Cup. The Somali official, named CAF's Best Male Referee of 2025, would have become the first referee from Somalia to take charge of a men's World Cup match. He never made it past the airport.

Artan flew into Miami from Istanbul. US Customs and Border Protection held him, ruled him inadmissible, and pointed to unspecified "vetting concerns" tied to US travel restrictions, Sky News reported. Officers turned him back.

FIFA has confirmed that Artan can no longer officiate at the tournament. He had already broken ground for Somali referees, working the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile before winning African football's top refereeing award.

For African fans, the call stings. One of the continent's best officials earned his place on merit, then lost it over a border decision rather than anything he did on the pitch. Other match officials and pundits have pushed back, some urging colleagues to respond.

Kenyan fans following the build-up feel the weight of African representation at a World Cup played across North America. Artan's case puts the host nations' entry rules in the spotlight days before kickoff.