June 9, 2026
Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan has been dropped from officiating at the World Cup after being barred from entering the United States, world football’s governing body FIFA said on Monday.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Artan, who was refused entry to the US after arriving at Miami International Airport on Saturday, would play no part in the World Cup.
Artan would have been the first Somali to referee at a World Cup.
“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 spokesperson told AFP.
