World Cup referee denied U.S. entry was set to make Somalia history

By  OMAR FARUK and GERALD IMRAYWednesday June 10, 2026

A journey that was supposed to lift Somalia onto the World Cup stage has instead ended at a Miami airport, where referee Omar Artan was turned away, then removed from FIFA’s tournament roster.

Artan, set to become the first referee from Somalia to work a World Cup after earning a place on FIFA’s final list announced two months ago, arrived with rare distinction. Widely regarded as one of Africa’s elite officials, he was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.

He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over “vetting concerns,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement without giving details of those concerns. Artan was issued a visa to travel to the U.S. last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya that processed it.

Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said Tuesday the referee was denied admittance for “very good reason” but also declined to go into details.

Later Tuesday, a U.S. official said the referee was refused admission due to “association with suspected members of terror organizations.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter that is covered by visa privacy laws.

The decision to block a FIFA-appointed match official from entering a World Cup host nation is highly uncommon. Artan had been expected to join other referees at the tournament’s training base in Miami.

Somalia is among nearly 40 countries affected by new travel limits imposed under the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration crackdown. That has fueled anxiety that fans, players and officials from those countries — most of them in Africa — could be swept up in the restrictions and kept out of the World Cup even when holding valid visas.

Questioned for hours at airport

Artan told The New York Times he was questioned for 11 hours by border officials at Miami airport. He said they asked why he had traveled to the United States and pressed him on Somali politics and al-Shabab, the militant group waging an insurgency against the government there. He said he presented FIFA paperwork and photographs documenting his refereeing career.

After the lengthy interview, he was placed in a holding cell and put on a flight back to Istanbul, Turkey, the same city through which he had connected on his way to the United States.

“I think that they have a problem with my country,” Artan told The New York Times, saying he had the proper documents and visa. He said he was not told why he was refused entry, according to the Times.

The Somalia Youth and Sports Ministry said Tuesday that its embassy in the U.S. was working to resolve the issue so Artan could referee at the World Cup, which begins Thursday.

The refusal may have been tied to Somalia’s broader travel restrictions “rather than any specific allegation against him,” Isse Aden Abshir, a senior adviser at the Somalia sports ministry, told The Associated Press.

Artan subjected to ‘additional inspection’

Customs and Border Protection said in a Monday statement that Artan “underwent additional inspection” on arrival, describing it as “a routine part of CBP’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,” CBP said.

CBP said every person seeking entry into the United States — including World Cup players, coaches and staff — is subject to inspection and vetting.

“Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the CBP statement said. “CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.”

FIFA drops ref from World Cup

FIFA said it was not part of the immigration process and had been told by U.S. authorities that Artan’s “status will not be changed at present.” The governing body said he would not be able to train or officiate at the World Cup.

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

Even so, FIFA and president Gianni Infantino had cultivated close relations with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration as the country prepared to co-host the tournament with Mexico and Canada, while publicly emphasizing that the partnership would help ensure a smooth World Cup.

Infantino did not immediately comment, while FIFA issued a statement attributed to Artan.

“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said in the statement.

He was to make history for Somalia

Artan has been celebrated as one of Africa’s top referees and officiated the decisive leg of the African Champions League final last month — the continent’s premier club match.

In a recent interview with Al Jazeera TV, he spoke about the pride he felt at being chosen as the first Somali referee at a World Cup and described the obstacles he has faced in his war-scarred East African country, including having to alter his route to training at times because of explosions in Mogadishu’s streets.

“You cannot give up as a referee,” Artan said in the interview. This (going to the World Cup) was my big, big target and I’m really excited.”

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Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva and AP writers Matthew Lee and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed.