Omar Artan, who was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at the FIFA World Cup finals, has been dropped from the list of match officials after being denied entry into the United States.
The Independent Mirror reports that Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Referee of the Year, was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey.
No reason has been given by US immigration authorities for Artan’s repatriation.
However, Somalia is among several countries included in a travel ban introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration.
After discussions with US authorities, world football governing body FIFA confirmed that Artan will miss the tournament.
“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,” a statement read.
Head of Refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, has established a training hub in Miami for the tournament’s 52 referees and 88 assistant referees.
The FIFA World Cup will run from 11 June to 19 July.
Artan, who officiates in the Somali National Football League, became a FIFA referee in 2018 and has also officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations.
