U.S. denies entry to Somali referee ahead of World Cup

A Somali referee expected to make World Cup history was turned away at Miami International Airport, raising fresh questions about how much evidence U.S. officials must show when security claims collide with a global sports event. Omar Abdulkadir Artan, 34, had been set to become the first Somali referee ever to officiate at a World Cup.

Artan arrived in Miami on June 6, 2026, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said he was denied entry after “vetting concerns.” The agency said he underwent additional inspection, a routine admissibility process, and was found inadmissible. Artan later said he was detained for about 11 hours before being sent back on a flight to Istanbul.

Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force on the World Cup, defended the decision and said the administration had not seen a reason to reverse it. He said Artan was talking to “some very bad people,” and argued that the World Cup would not be used as an excuse to admit anyone the government viewed as a security risk. That explanation has sharpened the central question in the case: what standard of evidence is being applied, and who is accountable for explaining it when a tournament official is barred from entry?

FIFA later confirmed that Artan would be unable to train and officiate at the 2026 World Cup and said it would not intervene because host governments determine visa and admission decisions. The organization has already selected 52 referees for the tournament, 16 more than in 2022 in Qatar, as the event expands across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The case carries added weight because Somalia is included on President Donald Trump’s travel-ban list, even though published exemptions cover World Cup athletes and staff. Artan’s exclusion has prompted scrutiny on Capitol Hill, where Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, said legitimate World Cup participants should be allowed into the United States and urged FIFA and U.S. officials to resolve the issue. Artan, who was named Africa’s best male referee last year, returned to Mogadishu after the Istanbul flight and was welcomed by supporters and officials. FIFA has said he will still receive his full World Cup fee even though he will not officiate any matches.