MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) 鈥� The referee from Somalia who was after arriving in Miami and subsequently cut from the tournament by was set to make history for his country.
Omar Artan was going to be the first referee from to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA鈥檚 final list for the tournament, which was announced two months ago. He is one of Africa鈥檚 top referees and was named the continent鈥檚 best male referee in 2025.
He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over 鈥渧etting concerns,鈥� 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 鈥渧ery good reason鈥� but also declined to go into details.
The move to deny a FIFA-appointed match official permission to enter a World Cup host country is highly unusual. Artan was due to meet up with other World Cup referees at their training base in Miami.
Somalia is one of nearly 40 countries subjected to under the Trump administration鈥檚 strict . That raised concerns that fans, players and officials from those countries 鈥� most of which are African 鈥� might be caught up in the crackdown and denied entry for the World Cup despite having valid visas.
Questioned for hours at airport
Artan told The New York Times he was interviewed at Miami airport for 11 hours by border officials, who asked him why he’d traveled to the U.S. and questioned him about Somali politics and the al-Shabab militant group that is fighting an insurgency against the government there. He showed them FIFA documentation and photos from his refereeing career, he said.
After the questioning, he was put in a holding cell and sent back on a plane to Istanbul, Turkey, from where he’d taken his connecting flight to the U.S.
鈥淚 think that they have a problem with my country,鈥� Artan told The New York Times, adding he had the correct documents and visa. He said he wasn’t told why he was refused entry, according to the Times.
The Somalia Youth and Sports Ministry said on Tuesday that its embassy in the U.S. was trying to resolve the problem to allow Artan to referee at the World Cup, .
The refusal to allow him into the U.S. might be related to the larger travel restrictions on Somalia “rather than any specific allegation against him,鈥� Isse Aden Abshir, a senior adviser at the Somalia sports ministry, told The Associated Press.
Artan subjected to 鈥榓dditional inspection鈥�
Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Monday that Artan 鈥渦nderwent additional inspection” on arrival and called it 鈥渁 routine part of CBP鈥檚 inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.鈥�
鈥淔ollowing inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry,鈥� CBP said.
CBP said all travelers seeking entry into the U.S. 鈥� including World Cup players, coaches and staff 鈥� were subject to CBP inspection and vetting.
鈥淎dmissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,鈥� the CBP statement said. 鈥淐BP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.鈥�
FIFA drops ref from World Cup
FIFA said it was not involved in the immigration processes and was informed by U.S. authorities that Artan鈥檚 鈥渟tatus will not be changed at present.鈥� It said Artan wouldn鈥檛 be able to train and officiate at the World Cup.
鈥淚n line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,鈥� FIFA said.
Still, FIFA and built close ties to as the U.S. prepared to co-host with Mexico and Canada and had publicly stressed how that would help the World Cup run smoothly.
Infantino did not immediately comment on the issue, while FIFA released a statement on behalf of Artan.
鈥淒espite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,鈥� Artan said in the statement.
He was to make history for Somalia
Artan was praised as one of Africa’s best referees and was the ref for the decisive leg of the African Champions League final last month 鈥� Africa’s biggest club soccer game.
He spoke in a recent interview with the Al Jazeera TV network about how he was honored to be selected as the first Somali to referee at the World Cup and how he faced challenges in his , including sometimes having to change his route to training because of explosions in the streets of the capital, Mogadishu.
“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.”
___
Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva and AP writer Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed.
___
AP World Cup:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
