Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been removed from the 2026 FIFA World Cup officiating roster after U.S. authorities denied him entry into the United States. The decision ended what would have been a historic moment for Somali football, as Artan was set to become the first Somali official to referee a men’s FIFA World Cup match.
 
The 34-year-old had earned a place among Africa’s three selected centre referees after being named CAF’s Best Male Referee of 2025. His appointment was widely seen as a major achievement for Somali football and African refereeing.
 
However, just days before the tournament began on June 11, Artan was stopped at Miami International Airport and returned to Turkey, forcing FIFA to remove him from the World Cup officiating panel.
 
According to multiple reports, including those from Sky Sports and The Athletic, Omar Abdulkadir Artan travelled from Istanbul to Miami on June 6, carrying a valid US visa and a diplomatic passport. The trip was arranged with support from the Somali Embassy in Nairobi.
 
After arriving at Miami International Airport, Artan underwent additional screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Authorities later determined that he was “inadmissible due to vetting concerns” and placed him on a return flight to Istanbul on the same day, according to statements obtained by The New York Times’ The Athletic and CNN.
 
U.S. officials have not publicly detailed the specific reasons behind the decision. Reports noted that Somalia remains subject to heightened US travel scrutiny under current immigration policies.
 
The development immediately affected FIFA’s plans for the tournament, as officials must arrive early to complete training and preparation before the opening matches.
 
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.
  
“A host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
 
The case has drawn attention because the 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While matches will be played across all three countries, many tournament operations and preparations are based in the United States.
 
Meanwhile, Iran’s football federation said yesterday that its ticket allocation had been pulled just days before the World Cup starts, leaving supporters who had already made travel plans unable to attend their team’s matches.
 
The World Cup begins tomorrow, with Iran playing their first two Group G games in Los Angeles, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, and then facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
 
In a statement, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said it had already begun the ticket sales process for the matches but could no longer provide them to fans.
 
“This is even though many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches,” the FFIRI added in a statement.
 
“Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries.
 
“This development raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the organisation of the world’s biggest football event.”
 
Each participating federation at the World Cup receives eight per cent of the tickets for each of their matches to be allocated to fans according to their own criteria.
 
The FFIRI did not say who had made the decision to withhold the tickets but urged FIFA, soccer’s governing body, to adhere to “the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations” and called on it to prevent off-field issues from casting a shadow over the tournament.
 
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.