Somali Referee Omar Artan Denied Entry to USA and Will Miss World Cup
Omar Artan has been denied entry to the United States just days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off.
Despite being one of seven African referees selected to officiate at the tournament, the Somali official has encountered repeated difficulties securing a US visa.
Initial reports suggested Artan had finally been cleared to travel, with the Somali Embassy in Nairobi issuing him a diplomatic passport to facilitate his journey. But he has since been sent back to Turkey by American authorities.
Under Trump-era travel restrictions, most Somali nationals face a full suspension of immigrant and non-immigrant US visas unless they qualify for specific exemptions — a category Artan appears to meet as an accredited World Cup match official.
All referees selected for the World Cup are currently based in Miami, Florida, undertaking FIFA’s pre-tournament preparation seminar. Artan has now missed that crucial training camp through no fault of his own, with the Head of Referees at the Somali FA reportedly writing to FIFA demanding answers.
Artan was named CAF’s Best Male Referee of 2025 and was set to become the first-ever Somali referee at a World Cup. Instead, a landmark moment for Somali football has been overshadowed by bureaucracy and politics, denying one of the game’s most inspiring trailblazers his place on football’s biggest stage.
