Artan said he was taken to a holding cell after being denied entry into the US, adding that he spent several hours there before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan has expressed his sadness after being denied entry into the United States to officiate matches at the 2026 World Cup.
He made his feelings known on Tuesday during an interview with The New York Times following the incident.
On Monday, Artan was stopped by US immigration authorities at Miami International Airport and later repatriated to Turkey. The decision ended his hopes of becoming the first Somali official to referee at a FIFA World Cup finals.
Reacting to the development, the 2025 Confederation of African Football Men’s Referee of the Year said he could not understand why he was refused entry despite carrying valid travel documents.
“I am very, very disappointed. I’m simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream—the biggest dream of my life—to come to the World Cup,” Artan said.
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He added that he underwent an extensive immigration interview lasting about 11 hours before ultimately being denied entry.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” he added.
He went on to say he was subsequently taken to a holding cell where he spent several hours before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
No official reason has been provided by US immigration authorities for the decision. However, Somalia is among several countries affected by travel restrictions introduced under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Following discussions with US authorities, FIFA confirmed that Artan would be unable to officiate at the tournament.
“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 governing body said in a statement.
“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.”
