Somalia referee Omar Artan, selected to officiate at the FIFA World Cup, has been banned from entering the United States, ending his hopes of becoming the first person from his country to referee a match at soccer’s biggest tournament.
Artan, who was named Africa’s best referee in 2025, was stopped by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon arrival at Miami International Airport.
In a statement issued Monday, CBP said Artan was subject to “additional inspection” as part of the agency’s standard customs process.
“Upon inspection, it was determined that the traveler, a FIFA World Cup referee, was inadmissible due to control issues and was denied entry,” the statement said. The agency did not elaborate on the nature of these concerns.
Artan was the only referee from Somalia on FIFA’s list of match officials for the World Cup. As of June 9, 2025, Somalia has been on the U.S. list of countries with complete travel restrictions, although exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
According to reports, Artan possessed both a valid visa and a diplomatic passport. However, US authorities deemed them insufficient for access.
Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior advisor at Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, criticized the decision in a statement shared with multiple media outlets.
“Omar Artan is one of Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” Abshir said. “Denying him entry into the United States and preventing him from attending scheduled matches not only harms him personally, but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit and the spirit of fair play.”
Artan previously competed in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and was recognized as the continent’s best referee in 2025.
The incident is the latest controversy over travel ahead of the World Cup, which starts on Thursday.
Previously, Iranian national team players were granted visas to enter the United States, but the country’s soccer federation claimed 14 officials and staff were denied visas, describing the move as «vindictive behavior» following heightened tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran.
Published on June 9, 2026
