US visa denial rules Somali referee out of World Cup

FIFA has confirmed that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after he was denied entry into the United States.

Artan, who was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup finals, has now been removed from the list of match officials for the tournament.

The referee arrived at Miami International Airport on June 6 from Istanbul, Turkey, but was denied entry by United States immigration authorities despite holding a valid visa and a diplomatic passport facilitated by the Somali Embassy.

According to reports, U.S. Customs and Border Protection flagged Artan during routine checks and deemed him inadmissible because of unspecified vetting concerns.

He was subsequently placed on a return flight to Turkey, where he remains.

In a statement on Monday, FIFA confirmed that Artan would no longer take part in the tournament.

FIFA said: “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.

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

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Artan was among 52 elite match officials selected for the tournament and had been widely regarded as one of Africa’s leading referees after being named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025.

His exclusion has drawn criticism in Somalia, where government officials described the decision as a setback for football’s principles of fairness and merit.

The development has also highlighted broader visa-related challenges ahead of the World Cup.

Reports indicate that the Iranian national team was forced to establish its training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, after U.S. authorities denied visas to more than a dozen members of its delegation, limiting their access to the United States.

Artan’s withdrawal comes just days before the start of the World Cup and ends a historic opportunity for the referee to become the first Somali official to take charge of matches at football’s biggest tournament.

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