Omar Artan, the Somali referee who was denied entry into the United States (U.S) for World Cup 2026 officiating duties, is linked to suspected members of terror organisations, this is according to a U.S official.
Speaking on Tuesday, June 9 night, the Executive Director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, Andrew Giuliani, said Artan was refused admission for a “very good reason”, but declined to offer additional details.
“While I can’t go into the derog on that I can tell you it was right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision,” Giuliani told the BBC.
Put on a plane back to Instanbul
The Athletic reports that the 33-year-old referee was interrogated by border officials at Miami International Airport for 11 hours Saturday, briefly held in a jail cell before being forced to leave the U.S.
Customs and Border Protection officers claimed that Artan, named the African Referee of the Year in 2025, was blocked over “vetting concerns”.
Reports now indicate that he was questioned over Somalia politics and the Al Shabaab terrorist organisation, a group that in 2022, the U.S Africa Command (AFRICOM) described as “the largest, wealthiest, and most lethal Al Qaeda affiliate”.
“I think that they have a problem with my country,” Artan said, insisting that he showed the officials all the necessary documents and visa, including a FIFA documentation and photos from his refereeing career.
On Tuesday night, an unapologetic Giuliani reiterated, “Anybody who’s communicating with bad actors… are not going to be admitted.”
A missed ‘dream come true’
For Artan and Somalia as a country, the saga is a missed opportunity. He was set to become the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup.
Not even FIFA could come to Artan’s aid in a time of need… A FIFA spokesperson confirming shortly after that Artan would miss out on 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. In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
