Somalia’s hopes of being represented on football’s biggest stage suffered a major setback after a top referee was denied entry into the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a highly regarded Somali match official, revealed on Tuesday that his lifelong ambition of officiating at a World Cup had been crushed when U.S. immigration authorities refused him admission into the country.
Artan was among 52 referees selected by FIFA to officiate at this year’s tournament, which is being hosted across North America. He was also one of seven African referees appointed for the competition and stood to become the first Somali ever to take charge of a World Cup match.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, Artan told The New York Times that appearing at the World Cup would have been a source of pride and inspiration for Somalis, demonstrating what was possible despite the country’s many challenges.
“I am very, very disappointed,” Artan said during a telephone interview from Istanbul, where he was sent after being denied entry. “I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”
According to Artan, he landed at Miami International Airport on Saturday, less than a week before the tournament’s opening match, but was immediately stopped by border officials and subjected to extensive questioning.
He said he spent the night being interrogated in a small room by immigration officers.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan said, adding that he produced official FIFA documents and evidence of his refereeing career, which spans more than ten years.
He explained that authorities also reviewed online information relating to his professional achievements.
In 2025, Artan was honoured as Referee of the Year by the Confederation of African Football, the body responsible for overseeing the sport on the continent.
Artan said the questioning lasted roughly 11 hours before he was transferred to a holding facility, where he remained for several more hours before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
He added that officials never provided a specific explanation for why he was not allowed to enter the country.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said admission decisions are assessed individually and declined to disclose the exact reasons behind Artan’s exclusion.
“The traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of C.B.P’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” the agency said in a statement.
“Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
Artan suggested that his nationality may have influenced the decision.
“I think that they have a problem with my country,” he said, noting that he planned to return to Mogadishu on Wednesday.
The referee said he had spent the past four years preparing for the tournament, including attending FIFA training programmes in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has implemented strict visa and travel measures affecting Somalia, although it remains unclear whether FIFA had requested special clearance for Artan’s travel arrangements.
While FIFA did not immediately respond to detailed questions, the organisation confirmed that Artan would not be involved in officiating at the tournament.
“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,” the governing body said.
Questions have also emerged about why Artan was not considered for assignments in Canada or Mexico, which are co-hosting the competition alongside the United States.
Reflecting on his experience, Artan explained that his journey began in Nairobi, Kenya, where he waited for travel documentation before departing for Istanbul and then travelling onward to Miami for a FIFA referees’ meeting.
He said American officials questioned him not only about the purpose of his visit but also about Somalia’s political landscape.
Among the issues raised were repeated questions about Al Shabab, the militant group that controls parts of Somalia and has been engaged in a prolonged conflict with the Somali government.
Relations between Washington and Mogadishu have remained complicated for years.
In December, Trump drew criticism after referring to Somali immigrants as “garbage” and claiming that Somalia was “not even a country” during remarks at the White House.
Despite those comments, the United States military has continued working with Somalia’s government and has conducted numerous airstrikes against militant targets in the country.
Artan’s case is not the only example of travel difficulties affecting participants at the World Cup.
Members of Iran’s national football team recently received visas to travel to the United States after months of uncertainty linked to tensions arising from the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.
However, more than a dozen members of the Iranian team’s support staff were ultimately denied entry.