Omar Artan recounts 11-hour United States interrogation that cost him World Cup chance | OneFootball

Somali referee Omar Artan says an 11-hour interrogation on arrival in the United States ended his hopes of officiating at the World Cup, after he was refused entry on Monday despite, he said, having the right paperwork. "I am really, really disappointed," he said.

"I am just a referee trying to live his biggest dream, to go to the World Cup," he added, speaking from Istanbul, where he was returned, in his first comments carried by the New York Times. The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July.

Arriving via Miami, in one of the three host nations, he said he was questioned for 11 hours and showed FIFA documents and photos from his career. "I had the right papers and the right visa," Artan said. He was later held in another cell for several more hours before being put on a flight to Istanbul.

He said he was asked about Somali politics, including Al Shabab, which controls parts of the country and opposes the government. "I think they have a problem with my country," he said. Somalia’s sports minister has offered support to Artan.

Artan was named the Confederation of African Football’s referee of the year in 2025. In a previous White House appearance, Donald Trump said Somalia was "not even a country" and also called its people "garbage".

Source: L'Équipe