Somali World Cup Referee Denied US Entry Returns Home

The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the US arrived on Wednesday in his country’s capital, Mogadishu, where he was received by a crowd of supporters and officials.

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

In Mogadishu, Artan criticised the decision to deny him entry to the US for the World Cup, saying what had happened to him was “unfortunate”. The Trump administration said on Tuesday that the US had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to “suspected members of terror organisations”.

“What happened has happened and it was unfortunate. I am grateful for the support Fifa gave me,” Artan said. He urged his supporters to stand behind their country. “Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad. I want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country. I am now in my country, and there is no other place I want to be.

“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he said as hundreds of supporters at the airport waved the Somali flag. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”

A Fifa spokesperson said Artan would now not be able to train or officiate at the tournament, which starts in Mexico City on Thursday. Somalia’s government said it had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with the US and Fifa so that Artan could enter the US, and was saddened by what had happened.

Without identifying Artan, the US Customs and Border Protection said a Somali national arrived at Miami international airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible because of vetting concerns. An administration official said later that CBP officials had determined that Artan was a threat to national security. Artan was issued with a visa to travel to the US last week, according to the Somali embassy in Kenya that processed it.

The Trump administration’s strict immigration policies have been a point of concern before the World Cup, with Washington imposing a sweeping travel ban last year on citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia.