Selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 World Cup, Somali international referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry upon arrival in the United States on June 6. Despite having all his documents in order, this setback marks the end of his hopes for the competition.

According to information published by AFP on Monday, June 8, 2026, the African official will not be able to participate in the tournament or the referee training. FIFA confirmed his absence in an official statement, reiterating that it does not interfere in the immigration policies of host countries.

"The final decision regarding the granting of a visa or admission to the territory rests exclusively with the government of the host country."

A border turnback that is not going down well

The events at Miami airport

1. Origin: Istanbul (Turkey).
2. Date and place of arrival: Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Miami International Airport.
3. Official reason: Declared "inadmissible" by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after a thorough background check. No further details were provided.

The anger of the Somali authorities

This justification is strongly contested in Mogadishu. Ciise Aden Abshir, an advisor to the Somali Ministry of Youth and Sports, condemned the decision as unjust. He pointed out that the referee had a valid visa when he departed and argued that this refusal of entry undermines the values of merit and fairness in football.

The political context and its impact on African arbitration

The burden of migration restrictions

This pushback comes amid a tense geopolitical climate. Somalia is directly targeted by the tightening of travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, subjecting its citizens to drastic immigration controls upon entry to the United States.

A major blow for African football

At 34, Omar Abdulkadir Artan was poised to become the first Somali referee in history to officiate in a World Cup finals. A FIFA referee since 2018, he had been named CAF 's African Referee of the Year for 2025 .

Barring an unlikely turn of events, his exclusion reduces the delegation of African referees for this World Cup to 51 officials instead of 52 .