FIFA is making changes to its 2026 World Cup referee roster after Somalian official Omar Adbulkadir Artan was denied entry into the United States ahead of the event.
In a statement, FIFA confirmed Artan was not allowed into the country, and implied it will not fight that ruling, per the BBC.
“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,” the statement said. “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.”
Artan reportedly arrived in the United States on Saturday to take part in a training hub for all World Cup referees. That hub, which is located in Miami, was organized by referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina, per the BBC. Any official who takes part in the 2026 World Cup is required to stay at that hub for “training, preparation and security.” Because of that requirement, Artan cannot stay outside the United States and only officiate games in Mexico and Canada.
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A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not go into specific details on why Artan was denied entry into the United States, saying the decision was made due to “vetting concerns,” per CBS News.
Somalia, where Artan was born, is one of the countries included on the “travel ban” executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025. It’s unclear whether that order played a role in Artan being denied entry into the country.
That decision was met with frustration from Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, who called Artan one of “Africa’s most respected referees” in a statement to Agence France-Presse.
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Artan said he was “very disappointed” about the decision in a statement to The Athletic. He said he had the “right papers” and visa and showed border agents documentation of his career as a FIFA referee.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Mr. Artan said, adding that he had also showed documentation from FIFA as well as photographs of his career of over a decade as a professional referee. Border officials also checked online material detailing Mr. Artan’s career, he said.
Artan has officiated various international soccer matches over his career, and was named the male referee of the year by the Confederation for Africa Football in 2025.
