World Cup: Somalia referee Omar Artan denied entry to US, will be paid in full

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the FIFA World Cup, will be paid in full by the governing body for the tournament, Reuters reported on Monday (June 15th).

Artan, widely regarded as the best referee from Africa, arrived in Miami on a June 6 flight from Istanbul, where he was denied entry into the country by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said Artano was denied entry for what he described as a “very good reason,” but declined to provide further details.

In an interview with The New York Times later, Artan said he was detained and questioned by US border officials at the Miami airport for nearly 11 hours. According to Artan, the conversation focused on the purpose of his visit to the United States and included questions about the political situation in Somalia and the al-Shabaab militant group.

“During processing, the passenger underwent additional screening, a routine part of the CBP inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” CBP said in a statement. “Following inspection, the traveller, a FIFA World Cup referee, was determined to be inadmissible due to background checks concerns and was refused entry.”

The United States’ decision to deport Artan to Istanbul has outraged soccer fans, who have questioned FIFA’s credibility for failing to protect one of its own employees. Some also criticized the move as excessive and difficult to justify, arguing that the deportation of a FIFA official despite reports that he was traveling on a diplomatic visa raised new concerns about how foreign delegations and tournament staff are treated during the World Cup.

The 34-year-old Artan won the 2025 Referee of the Year award from the Confederation of African Football. Before that, he was active in two African Cup of Nations tournaments. A year ago, he took charge of his first major continental final – the 2nd leg of the 2025 CAF Champions League final between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in Cairo on June 1.

Following his refusal to enter the United States, he was selected by UEFA to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain on 12 August in Salzburg, Austria.

ARTAN RETURNS HOME TO HEALTH

While Artan’s World Cup dream was cut short, his return to Somalia was marked by an outpouring of support.

When the referee landed at Aden Abdulla Osman International Airport on Wednesday, hundreds of fans, football officials and government officials gathered to welcome him home. Supporters waved banners and chanted his name, turning what could have been a subdued comeback into a public display of solidarity and national pride.

Addressing everyone gathered at the airport, Artan struck a hopeful note despite the setback.

“I promise you, God willing, I will attend the next one,” he said.

“I want the Somali public to be comforted and rest assured.”

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

15 Jun 2026 08:46 IST