The United States has denied entry to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, preventing him from taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup and ending hopes of becoming the first Somali official to oversee a World Cup match.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed on Monday that Artan will not be able to officiate or participate in pre-tournament training activities ahead of the competition, which begins on Thursday.
“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 spokesperson said.
Despite the setback, Artan remained optimistic about his future in refereeing. In a statement, he thanked FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for their support and vowed to continue working hard.
“I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,” Artan said.
He also expressed appreciation to members of the football community who had sent messages of encouragement.
“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues every success during the World Cup. I look forward to joining them again in future competitions,” he added.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a Somali national arriving at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday was denied entry after being found inadmissible following additional screening procedures.
While the agency did not identify the individual by name, it said the decision was based on concerns raised during the vetting process. CBP did not provide further details on the nature of those concerns.
“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 in a statement.
The incident comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Trump administration’s immigration policies ahead of major international sporting events. Last year, the United States introduced a broad travel ban affecting citizens from 12 countries, including Somalia.
Media reports indicate that Artan, who was named CAF’s Best Male Referee for 2025, held a valid U.S. visa at the time of travel. Somalia’s embassy in Washington had not commented on the matter by the time of publication.
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