Somali Referee Omar Artan Denied Entry to U.S. for World Cup
Omar Artan was on the brink of history. Now he will watch the World Cup from home.
The Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been ruled out of the tournament after being denied entry into the United States.
Artan arrived at Miami International Airport on Saturday on a flight from Istanbul. There, his World Cup dream abruptly stalled at the border.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that a Somali national scheduled to referee at the World Cup had been refused entry after undergoing additional inspection. The agency did not name him, but Artan is the only World Cup-appointed referee from Somalia.
During processing, CBP officers subjected the traveller to what they described as a routine secondary inspection to verify information and determine admissibility. After that check, CBP said the referee was “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
With that decision, a career-defining assignment disappeared.
FIFA later confirmed that Artan will not be able to train or officiate at the World Cup. The governing body stressed that it has no role in immigration decisions made by host nations.
“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 said in a statement. “In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
CBP underlined that every traveller entering the United States — including athletes, coaches and support staff heading to major tournaments — faces the same inspection and vetting process.
“Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the agency said. “CBP officers have the authority to question travellers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with US law.”
For Artan, the timing could hardly be crueller. He had just been named 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year, recognition of his rise through the African game and his standing among the continent’s elite officials.
The World Cup was supposed to be the stage that crowned that ascent. Instead, his whistle will stay silent on football’s biggest platform, his absence a stark reminder that in modern sport, the final decision is not always made on the pitch.
