Somali Referee Omar Artan Denied Entry to U.S. for World Cup
The dream ended at Miami International Airport.
Somali referee Omar Artan, poised to make history as the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied entry into the United States and will not take part in the tournament.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that a Somali national scheduled to referee at the World Cup was refused entry after arriving from Istanbul on Saturday. The agency did not name him, but Artan is the only World Cup-appointed referee from Somalia.
FIFA later confirmed the blow: Artan will not be able to train or officiate at the World Cup.
“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," world football’s governing body said in a statement. “In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
The decision came after what CBP described as standard additional screening.
“During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” CBP said. “Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
No further details were given on the nature of those “vetting concerns.”
CBP stressed that everyone heading into the U.S. for the World Cup faces the same scrutiny.
The agency pointed out that all travelers — “including athletes, coaches and staff” — are subject to inspection and vetting, adding: “Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection. CBP officers have the authority to question travellers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with US law.”
For Artan, the timing could hardly be crueller. He had been named 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year and stood on the brink of a landmark appearance on the sport’s biggest stage.
Instead of walking out at a World Cup, his story now sits at the intersection of football and border control, a reminder that even at the highest level of the global game, the final whistle can be blown far from the pitch.
