World Cup referee speaks out after entry to US denied | OneFootball

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has said “the biggest dream of my life” was abruptly ended as the US government barred him from entering the country to partake in the 2026 World Cup.

Artan, 34, who was set to become the first ever professional referee to represent Somalia on the world stage, had to endure an 11-hour interview with border control before being detained in a separate holding cell for several hours more.

The FIFA referee was then put on a flight back to Istanbul, despite his assurances that he possessed the correct documents and visa that he believed should have allowed him entry into the country.

US President Donald Trump’s administration placed strict bans on nationals from 75 countries in January, which also includes Iran, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, and Afghanistan, in an attempt to advance his policy on immigration.

In an interview with The New York Times, Artan said: “I am very, very disappointed. I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.

“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa.”

Artan added that he believed the administration has a problem with his country, with the US Customs and Border Protection assuring that the decision was made on a case-by-case basis.

They did not disclose specific reasons why Artan was refused entry, explaining in a statement: “The traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of C.B.P.’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.

“Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”

FIFA, the governing body of world football, said in their own release that it is “not involved in host country immigration process”, adding that this encompasses visa adjudications – which the US issued a freeze on for the list of 75 nations.

Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, backed the ruling to deny Artan entry.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “While I can’t go into the derog [derogatory information] on that I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision.”

Unlike the Iranian national team, it was reportedly not a possibility for Artan to reside in Mexico – where they are based between matches in the Unites States – or in Canada, leaving him no option but to return home.

FIFA has since removed the 34-year-old from their officiating roster for the 2026 World Cup, which begins this Thursday.