The move by the Trump administration ended Artan’s hope of becoming the first Somali official to referee at a FIFA World Cup despite holding a valid U.S. visa and being named Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025.
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has labelled Somali football referee Omar Abdelkader Artan a national security threat and accused him of associating with suspected terrorist organisations after denying him entry into the United States to officiate in the 2026 World Cup.
The move by the Trump administration ended Artan’s hope of becoming the first Somali official to referee at a FIFA World Cup despite holding a valid U.S. visa and being named Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025.
Artan has returned to Somalia to a hero’s welcome after being denied entry into the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Artan, who was named Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025 and was set to become the first Somali official to referee at a men’s FIFA World Cup, arrived back in Mogadishu after being turned away by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at Miami International Airport despite holding a valid visa.
