Top African Referee Artan Excluded From World Cup Match Officials List After U.S. Travel Ban

United States: Somali referee Omar Artan, who was on the verge of making history as the first match official from Somalia to referee at the World Cup finals, has faced a major setback after being denied entry to one of the tournament host nations, the United States.

Artan was among 52 referees selected by FIFA to officiate in the 2026 World Cup finals scheduled to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11, 2026 to July 19, 2026.

However, the top African referee Artan was denied entry into the United States at Miami International Airport reportedly due to "vetting concerns" that made him "inadmissible".

According to multiple international media outlets, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped and turned him away following his flight from Istanbul, preventing him from the golden opportunity to officiate the World Cup finals.

Artan's case was complicated by the fact that Somalia is one of the countries affected by the current U.S. travel restrictions under the administration of President Donald Trump.

After high-level talks with the U.S. authorities, FIFA announced that Artan will miss the tournament.

The World Football governing body announced: "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.

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

Meanwhile, the Somali Football Federation (SFF) has contacted FIFA seeking urgent clarification.

However, responding to the situation, Artan said that despite the circumstances he was in a positive mood 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."

Artan, the current men's best referee in Africa, became a FIFA-badged referee in 2018.