Somali Referee Omar Artan Denied Entry to U.S. for World Cup

The dream ended at Miami International Airport.

Somali referee Omar Artan, set 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 no longer take part in the tournament.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that a Somali national due to referee at the World Cup was refused entry after arriving from Istanbul on Saturday. The agency did not name the individual, but Artan is the only World Cup-appointed referee from Somalia, leaving little doubt about who was involved.

FIFA later acknowledged that Artan will not be able to train or officiate at the competition.

“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 ends a landmark moment for Somali football before a ball has even been kicked. Artan, recently named 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year, was on the cusp of the biggest stage of his career.

CBP outlined its position in a detailed statement explaining why the referee was turned away.

“During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” the agency 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.”

The language was formal, the impact anything but.

CBP stressed that every person arriving in the U.S. faces the same scrutiny, whether they are tourists or part of the global sporting elite.

“All travelers seeking entry into the US — including athletes, coaches and staff — are subject to CBP inspection and vetting,” the statement continued. “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.”

No further detail was given on the specific “vetting concerns” that led to Artan being ruled inadmissible, and there was no indication that his status would be revisited before or during the tournament.

For FIFA, the ruling removes one of its appointed officials from the roster. For Somalia, it is a bitter loss of a historic first. For Artan, whose rise through African football had just been crowned with a continental award and a World Cup call-up, the question now is when — or if — another chance at this level will come.