Somali referee Omar Artan, who was named the best football referee in Africa in 2025, was not allowed to enter the United States. The expert, included by FIFA in the list of referees to work at the 2026 World Cup, failed to pass the border control at the Miami airport.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection denied entry to Somali referee Omar Artan, who was scheduled to work at the World Cup. As a result, in addition to the USA, he was unable to manage the tournament games, which will be held in two other countries of North America – Canada and Mexico.
The Somali referee arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on June 6. US Customs and Border Protection did not identify him, but only one referee from Somalia, Omar Artan, was supposed to participate in the tournament.
FIFA commented on this situation and stated that the host country cannot interfere in migration and visa issues.
“FIFA does not participate in immigration procedures of the host country, including visa issues. “Authorities have informed us that Mr. Artan’s status will not be reviewed yet,” said the representative of the federation.
US Customs and Border Protection also confirmed the incident. However, the statement of the office did not give reasons for the refusal to enter the country.
Umar Artan said that despite the incident, he intends to continue his work. He thanked the football community for his support and wished his colleagues good luck at the World Cup.
“I thank the football family for the words of support. I wish my colleagues success in the world championship and I hope to join them again in the future tournaments,” said Artan.
Omar Artan was recognized as the best referee of 2025 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). He also made history as the first Somali referee involved in the World Cup finals.
According to observers, this decision is one of the most controversial cases at the intersection of sports and migration policy, and may cause a lot of discussion before the World Cup.
