First Somali referee to officiate at World Cup barred from entering US Award-winning Somali football referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite holding a valid visa, and was forced to return to Istanbul. FIFA confirmed his inability to officiate, stating they are not involved in host-country immigration processes. This decision is speculated to be linked to the Trump administration’s travel restrictions on Somali nationals, adding to recent controversies involving entry policies and security procedures for teams and fans.

• Omar Artan, the first Somali national to officiate at a FIFA World Cup finals tournament, was denied entry to the US at Miami International Airport.
• Artan, who held a valid US visa, was forced to return to Istanbul.
• FIFA confirmed Artan’s status would not be changed, preventing him from officiating at the tournament.
• The denial of entry is believed to be related to previous US travel restrictions on Somali nationals.
• The Senegal national team also underwent extensive searches upon arrival in the US.
• Dozens of Scottish fans experienced abrupt changes to their US travel authorizations (ESTA) shortly before the tournament.