9.6.2026
US immigration authorities have barred Somalian referee Omar Artan from entering the country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup beginning June 10.
According to the US Customs and Border Protection Artan who was named best African referee in 2025 was “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
FIFA confirmed later Monday that Artan wouldn’t be able to train and officiate at the World Cup.
In a statement, FIFA said it was not involved in the immigration processes and was informed by authorities that 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,” football’s governing body said.
Artan reportedly had a valid entry visa despite Somalia being under a US travel ban.
Somali officials decried the move, saying it “undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play.”
“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said in the statement. “I would like to thank FIFA and (the African federation) for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,” Artan said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the US has also revoked the ticket allocation to Iran for its team’s group stages of the World Cup.
Iran’s football federation on Tuesday accused the US of obstructing the attendance of Iranian supporters under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row.
‘With less than three days remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup… the United States has once again acted to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums hosting the national team’s three group stage matches,’ the federation said in a statement. With agency reports