Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been barred from entering the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending his selection to officiate at the tournament.
- Chipo Basira
- 09 Jun, 2026
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been barred from entering the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending his selection to officiate at the tournament.
US Customs and Border Protection confirmed Artan was subjected to additional inspection on arrival in Miami following a flight from Istanbul, Turkey. After the inspection he was declared inadmissible due to vetting concerns and denied entry. CBP did not disclose the specific reasons for the decision.
Artan, named Africa’s Male Referee of the Year in 2025, had been selected by the Confederation of African Football to officiate at the World Cup scheduled for 11 June to 19 July 2026.
The tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico across 16 cities.
Somalia is one of 39 countries affected by current US travel restrictions, which subject nationals from those countries to heightened scrutiny at American ports of entry.
FIFA said it does not participate in host-country immigration or visa processes.
A FIFA spokesperson stated the organisation had been informed by US authorities that Artan’s status would not change and reiterated that host governments make final determinations on entry.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition staged by three host nations.
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Search
Category
