Somalian referee Omar Artan, who was set to become the first Somali official to referee at a FIFA World Cup, has been dropped from the list of match officials after being denied entry to the United States.
Artan, who was named the 2025 Confederation of African Football Men’s Referee of the Year, was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey.
No reason has been publicly given by US immigration authorities.
However, Somalia is among a number of countries included in a travel ban introduced by US President Donald Trump's administration.
FIFA has confirmed that Artan will be unable to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a statement, FIFA says it is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Artan's status will not be changed at present.
The world football governing body says that, as with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted to the country.
The Somali Football Federation has reportedly contacted FIFA seeking urgent clarification on the matter.
Artan became a FIFA referee in 2018 and has previously officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations.
He was among the 52 referees selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States from this Friday until 20th July.
Source: BBC Sports
