Somali World Cup referee is denied entry to the US and returns home to a hero’s welcome

A World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States was welcomed by a crowd of supporters and officials on Wednesday as he arrived in the Somali capital Mogadishu, where he said he planned to attend the next World Cup and urged Somali youth to be proud of their country.

Omar Artan would become the first referee from Somalia to officiate a World Cup after making the final FIFA list for the tournament. He is one of Africa’s best referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.

On Saturday, he was denied entry to Miami International Airport due to «control concerns,» U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement, without providing details. FIFA subsequently removed him from the tournament’s referee list.

According to the Somali embassy in Kenya, Artan was granted a visa to travel to the United States last week. The United States is co-hosting the World Cup along with Mexico and Canada, and Artan was expected to join other tournament referees at their training base in Miami.

He returned to a hero’s welcome at Mogadishu airport, where he thanked the Somali government and people, as well as FIFA, for their support.

“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next meeting,” he said as hundreds of supporters waved the Somali flag at the airport. “I want the Somali public to take comfort from this and continue to have confidence.”

The highly unusual move by the United States to deny a FIFA-designated match official entry into a World Cup host country sparked outrage around the world and raised questions among some fans about their ability to organize the competition.

Somalia is one of nearly 40 countries facing new travel restrictions as a result of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

Hundreds of supporters, government officials and members of the Somali football community had gathered hours before Artan arrived at Aden Adde International Airport at around 8:30 am local time.

As Artan disembarked, supporters waving Somali flags crowded around him before draping him in the national flag.

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He was then escorted by police officers to the airport’s VIP terminal, where he was welcomed by Somalia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Somali Football Federation officials and other dignitaries. Later he spoke to the press.

“It is up to all of us to defend the Somali name,” Artan said. “Somalia is ours, whether it is in bad or good condition. That flag is ours, and that passport is ours.”

In a country where decades of war and the rise of the al-Qaeda-linked extremist group al-Shabaab have limited the potential of many, Artan’s refusal left many disappointed. But it also reminded some in the country what is possible when they follow their dreams.

Artan’s expected milestone at this year’s World Cup «stands regardless,» World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X on Tuesday.

“You’ve reached the pinnacle of your profession and inspired a generation at home by getting there, and being kept off the field you’ve earned doesn’t change that,” he added.

Published on June 10, 2026