Omar Artan dropped from World Cup 2026 officials after US denies entry

Omar Artan, who had been set to become the first Somali to referee at the World Cup finals, has been removed from the list of officials after being denied entry to the United States.

Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football men's referee of the year, was stopped at Miami International Airport and is now in Turkey. No reason for his repatriation has been issued by US immigration authorities, although Somalia is among the countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump's administration.

After speaking to US authorities, Fifa said Artan will miss the tournament.

"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," the governing body said in a statement.

"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.

"In line with previous Fifa events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country."

Referees' chief Pierluigi Collina has created a training hub in Miami for the tournament's 52 referees and 88 assistant referees. All on-pitch officials must stay at the base in Florida for training, preparation and security.

That means Artan could not stay outside the United States and only referee matches in Canada or Mexico.

A senior adviser to Somalia's ministry of youth and sports confirmed the denial of entry to the BBC and said Artan had been travelling with valid documents. A Somali embassy official in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan's diplomatic passport had been issued specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties.

In a statement to Reuters, Artan said that despite the circumstances he remained positive and focused on the next challenge.

"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," he said.

"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."

The Somali Football Federation has contacted Fifa seeking urgent clarification.

Speaking to BBC World Service, Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, said: "While I can't go into the derog [derogatory information] on that I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision."

The World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July.

Artan, an official in the Somali national football league championships, became a Fifa referee in 2018 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations.

His case is the latest controversy affecting the World Cup. Iran's football federation said on Tuesday that its allocation of group-stage fan tickets had been revoked.

Pundit and former England striker Ian Wright described the tournament as a "World Cup of chaos" in a video on Instagram.

"Every few hours, it's another story about fans denied, player denied, officials denied, journalists denied, now refs.

"I'm laughing but it's not funny. It's actually not funny and something has to be said. The most expensive tickets ever, expensive accommodation, transport through the roof.

"Is this how the hosts behave for the greatest game, the greatest tournament in the world? Are we not hearing more? Are we seeing how Qatar got dragged, are we not hearing more? Is this the spirit of football, really?

"I feel for the American fans who are desperate for this, how embarrassed they must be. How embarrassing for them this must be.

"This is a World Cup of chaos."