MIAMI : Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was set to become the first Somali official to referee at a FIFA World Cup finals, has been removed from the list of match officials for the 2026 tournament after being denied entry into the United States.
Artan, named the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025, was reportedly stopped by U.S. immigration authorities upon arrival at Miami International Airport and subsequently repatriated. He is currently in Turkey.
U.S. authorities have not publicly disclosed the reason for denying Artan entry. However, Somalia is among several countries affected by travel restrictions introduced under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
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In a statement, FIFA confirmed that Artan would be unable to participate in the World Cup as either a referee or a trainee official.
“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,” the governing body said.
“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.”
The organisation added that, as with previous FIFA tournaments, the host country’s government retains the final authority over visa approvals and entry decisions.
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