Somali referee Omar Artan won't officiate in World Cup 2026 after US denies entry

Somali referee Omar Artan won’t officiate in the World Cup after being denied entry into the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry after arriving to Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday. While the CBP statement didn’t mention the person by name, Artan is the only World Cup referee from Somalia. FIFA confirmed later Monday that Artan wouldn’t be able to train and officiate at the World Cup. In a statement released on his behalf by FIFA, Artan said he's “in a positive mood.”

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