Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan refused US entry, out of 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was refused entry to the United States on Monday despite holding a visa, and will not take part in the 2026 World Cup.

According to L'Équipe, the 34-year-old was turned back by immigration on arrival in Miami and put on the next flight to Istanbul, and FIFA, citing host-nation procedures, does not intervene in immigration and has confirmed he cannot train or officiate at the tournament.

Named Africa’s best referee in 2025, Artan had been set to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup. An international since 2018, he handled the 2024 CAF Champions League return leg between Pyramids and Mamelodi Sundowns, which ended 2-1 after a 1-1 first leg, and worked at last year’s Under-20 World Cup, including France v Colombia for third place on 18 October.

His selection was hailed in Somalia, ranked 198th of 211 by FIFA, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud praising his professionalism and integrity and presenting him as an inspiration for young Somalis.

After visa difficulties, he secured a diplomatic passport with help from Somalia’s embassy in Kenya late last week, raising hopes the matter was solved. He was still refused entry.

Last June, the Trump administration imposed entry bans or visa restrictions on 19 countries, including Somalia. The US president had also made racist remarks about Somalis, and in December targeted the Somali community in Minnesota, accusing it of destroying the state and calling its members trash.

Source: L'Équipe