MIAMI — FIFA referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States at Miami International Airport on Saturday, preventing his participation in the 2026 World Cup. U.S. Customs and Border Protection cited vetting concerns during inspection.
Artan, a referee from Somalia, arrived from Istanbul. He departed for Istanbul following the denial.
FIFA had selected Artan as one of 52 referees for the 2026 World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19. All tournament referees are required to stay at a training base in Miami for preparation and security.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed that Artan would be unable to train and officiate at the event. The spokesperson stated, "FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States. FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr. Artan's status will not be changed at present."
A CBP spokesperson elaborated on the process. "During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP's inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility. Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry." Andrew Giuliani, lead of the White House Task Force on the World Cup, supported the decision. He said, "While I cannot go into the derogatory information on that, I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision."
A senior adviser to Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed the denial of entry and stated Artan traveled with valid documents. Artan released a statement, saying, "I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future. I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions."
Artan became a FIFA referee in 2018 and was named the 2025 Confederation of African Football men's referee of the year. Somalia is included on a travel ban list established by the Trump administration. The Somali Football Federation contacted FIFA requesting clarification regarding Artan's status.