White House explains why it denied Somali referee entry to US for World Cup

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleSomali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US for the World Cup despite holding a valid visa, following an 11-hour immigration interview. The Trump administration stated Artan was deemed a "national security threat" by US Customs and Border Protection due to alleged links with "suspected members of terror organisations". Artan, who was Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, expressed profound disappointment at missing his dream of officiating at the World Cup. Somalia's government unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate Artan's entry, highlighting his international achievements as a source of national pride. FIFA stated it is not involved in host country immigration processes and confirmed Artan would not officiate, with other World Cup personnel also facing entry issues. In fullTrump administration says Somali referee denied US entry over links to ‘terror organisation’ suspectsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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