Somali referee Omar Artan cannot officiate games at the World Cup. The referee appointed by FIFA for the tournament was not allowed to enter the USA.
Jun 9, 2026, 6:56 a.mJun 9, 2026, 7:07 am
FIFA confirmed a corresponding report from the AFP news agency. Artan was denied entry at Miami airport, a spokesman for the Somali sports ministry told AFP.
This was despite the fact that he had a valid visa. The 34-year-old began his journey home via Istanbul, the Somali Ministry said.
Artan recently refereed the African Champions League final.Image: keystone
Artan has been an official FIFA referee since 2018. In recent years he has established himself as one of the best in his field in Africa, and in 2024 he led games at the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. In 2026 he refereed the final of the African Champions League and was named Africa’s Referee of the Year.
There are very likely political reasons why the 34-year-old was denied entry into the US. Somalia is among the countries on a travel ban list by President Donald Trump’s administration. Artan would have been the first referee from Somalia to ever take part in a World Cup. (sda/afp/con)