Referee Omar Artan, center, signals a penalty during the CAF Champions League final soccer match between AS FAR Rabat and Mamelodi Sundowns, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy, File)
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSUpdated 1:57 AM GMT+1, June 9, 2026
Somali referee Omar Artan won’t officiate in the World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry after arriving to Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday. While the CBP statement didn’t mention the person by name, Artan is the only World Cup referee from Somalia.
FIFA confirmed later Monday that Artan wouldn’t be able to train and officiate at the World Cup, then released a statement on the referee’s behalf.
“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said in the statement. “I would like to thank FIFA and (the African federation) for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future. I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”
In its own statement, FIFA said it was not involved in the immigration processes and was informed by authorities that Artan’s “status will not be changed at present.”
