Mogadishu: Somalia soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan on Wednesday said the decision to bar him from entering the United States for the FIFA World Cup 2026 was unfortunate.
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I had a phone call with the Somali international referee, Omar Artan, who is unable to participate in officiating at the 2026 @FIFAcom World Cup, and I shared with him our feelings regarding the challenge he has faced. Omar is a symbol of our people and country's great potential pic.twitter.com/H7Hochdndm
— Mohamed Farmaajo (@M_Farmaajo) June 9, 2026
Artan, Africa's referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali to officiate at soccer's global showpiece, but was turned back by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over the weekend, according to Reuters.
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.
Photos: When international Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan landed at Adan Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu on Wednesday morning, he was greeted with a warm and heroic reception. pic.twitter.com/fRz6w5AkH3
— Nasra Bashir Ali (@NasraBashiir) June 10, 2026
Referee Omar Artan received a hero's welcome when he landed back in Somalia today
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 10, 2026
The 34-year-old was set to make history as the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, but was denied entry.
(via @nasrabashiir) pic.twitter.com/R82tm8o3z3
"What happened has happened, and it was unfortunate. I am grateful for the support FIFA gave me," Artan told reporters after arriving in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, and urged his supporters to stand behind their country, as quoted by Reuters.
"Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad. I want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country," he said. "I am now in my country, and there is no other place I want to be," he added.
FIFA had previously announced the appointment of 52 referees and 88 assistant referees for the World Cup 2026.
'This Is A World Cup Of Chaos': Arsenal Legend Ian Wright Slams FIFA After Controversial Ban On Somalia Referee | VIDEOAccording to Reuters, a FIFA spokesperson said Artan will no longer be able to train or officiate at the tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada and begins on Thursday.
Somalia's government said it had made unsuccessful efforts to engage with both the United States and FIFA to secure Artan's entry, expressing regret over the situation.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Iran Team Allowed Early US Entry As Federation Raises Concerns Over Ticket Allocation WithdrawalWithout naming him directly, US Customs and Border Protection said a Somali national arriving at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday was denied entry due to "vetting concerns."
An administration official later stated that CBP had assessed the individual as a potential national security risk.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)