Omar Artan looks on during the AFCON Group F match between Gabon and Ivory Coast at Marrakech stadium, Marrakech, Morocco on December 31, 2025. (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto) (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP)
Somalia on Tuesday defended award-winning referee, Omar Artan, after he was denied entry to the United States and prevented from becoming the first Somali official to officiate at a World Cup finals.
Somalia’s Ministry of Sports expressed “deep regret” over Artan’s denial of entry, saying that despite diplomatic engagement with US authorities and world football’s governing body FIFA, it was “not possible to achieve a positive outcome”.
Artan, who in 2025 was named men’s referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was barred from entering the US on Saturday after arriving at Miami International Airport.
FIFA then confirmed that he would no longer be part of the quadrennial football extravaganza set to start on Thursday.