Somali referee set to officiate World Cup denied entry into US

A top Somali referee will not officiate at the World Cup after being denied entry into the US.

Omar Artan, who was set to become the ‌first Somali to officiate at a World Cup match, was stopped by US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) when he arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday.

The CBP said he was deemed inadmissible due to "vetting concerns", but did not elaborate further on what the concerns were.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed Artan, who was named the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) referee of the year in 2025, would miss out on the tournament, which starts across the US, Mexico and Canada on 11 June.

The spokesperson said: "FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.

"FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan's status will not be changed at present.

"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country."

Artan insisted he remained "in a positive mood" and was "focused on the next challenges in my career".

"I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support, and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future," he said.

"I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup, and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions."

Trump's hostility towards Somalis

Somalia is one of the countries on Donald Trump's travel ban list, which was announced last year as part of the government's crackdown on immigration.

The Department of State went further in January and suspended immigrant visas from 75 countries, including Somalia, Haiti and Iran, but Artan believed he had a valid visa to work in the US, according to Sky Sports News.

The Somali community has also been subject to widespread criticism from Mr Trump, who in the past has called them "garbage".

Allegations from a right-wing online influencer over childcare facilities run by Somali residents in the state of Minnesota were also the catalyst for thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entering the state, which was met with widespread protests.

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Iran is another country on the Trump administration's travel ban list. The Iranian team will be based in Mexico during the World Cup and must make fleeting visits to play their group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.

While all Iranian players have been granted the required visas, the team say 12 members of support staff have been denied entry to the US for the tournament.

(c) Sky News 2026: Somali referee set to officiate World Cup denied entry into US