Visa denial cost Somalia World Cup ref history 

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP):

The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States after arriving in Miami and subsequently cut from the tournament by FIFA was set to make history for his country.

Omar Artan was going to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA's final list for the tournament, which was announced two months ago. He is one of Africa's top referees and was named the continent's best male referee in 2025.

He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over "vetting concerns", US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement without giving details of those concerns. 

Artan was issued a visa to travel to the US last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya that processed it.

Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said yesterday the referee was denied admittance for "very good reason" but also declined to go into details.

The move to deny a FIFA-appointed match official permission to enter a World Cup host country is highly unusual. Artan was due to meet up with other World Cup referees at their training base in Miami.

Somalia is one of nearly 40 countries subjected to new travel restrictions under the Trump administration's strict crackdown on immigration. That raised concerns that fans, players, and officials from those countries — most of which are African — might be caught up in the crackdown and denied entry for the World Cup despite having valid visas.

Questioned for hours at airport

Artan told The New York Times he was interviewed at Miami airport for 11 hours by border officials who asked him why he hd travelled to the US and questioned him about Somali politics and the al-Shabab militant group that is fighting an insurgency against the government there. He showed them FIFA documentation and photos from his refereeing career, he said.

After the questioning, he was put in a holding cell and sent back on a plane to Istanbul, Turkey, from where he had taken his connecting flight to the US.

"I think that they have a problem with my country," Artan told The New York Times, adding he had the correct documents and visa. He said he wasn't told why he was refused entry, according to The Times.

The Somalia Youth and Sports Ministry said Yesterday that its embassy in the US was trying to resolve the problem to allow Artan to referee at the World Cup, which opens on Thursday.

The refusal to allow him into the US might be related to the larger travel restrictions on Somalia "rather than any specific allegation against him", Isse Aden Abshir, a senior advisor at the Somalia sports ministry, told The Associated Press.

Artan subjected to 'additional inspection'

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement Monday that Artan "underwent additional inspection" on arrival and called it "a routine part of CBP's inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility".

"Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry," CBP said.

CBP said all travellers seeking entry into the US — including World Cup players, coaches, and staff — were subject to CBP inspection and vetting.

"Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security and immigration information available at the time of inspection," the CBP statement said. 

"CBP officers have the authority to question travellers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with US law."

FIFA drops ref from World Cup

FIFA said it was not involved in the immigration processes and was informed by US authorities that Artan's "status would not be changed at present." It said Artan wouldn't be able to train and officiate at the World Cup.

"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country," FIFA said.

Still, FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, built close ties to US President Donald Trump's government as the US prepared to co-host with Mexico and Canada and had publicly stressed how that would help the World Cup run smoothly.

Infantino did not immediately comment on the issue, while FIFA released a statement on behalf of Artan.

"Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood, and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career," Artan said in the statement.

He was to make history for Somalia

Artan was praised as one of Africa's best referees and was the ref for the decisive leg of the African Champions League final last month — Africa's biggest club football game.

He spoke in a recent interview with the Al Jazeera TV network about how he was honoured to be selected as the first Somali to referee at the World Cup and how he faced challenges in his conflict-torn country in East Africa, including sometimes having to change his route to training because of explosions in the streets of the capital, Mogadishu.

"You cannot give up as a referee," Artan said in the interview. This (going to the World Cup) was my big, big target, and I'm really excited."