Somalia referee Omar Artan calls US FIFA World Cup visa denial "unfortunate"

Mogadishu [Somalia], June 10 (ANI): 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.

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.

“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.

According 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.

Without 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. (ANI)

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