Somali Referee Omar Artan Ruled Out Of 2026 World Cup After US Entry Denial

Somalian referee Omar Artan will not officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry into the United States, FIFA has confirmed.

The decision ended Artan’s hopes of becoming the first referee from Somalia to officiate matches at a World Cup finals.

The experienced official had been selected as part of the tournament’s refereeing programme but will now miss both training activities and match appointments ahead of the competition.

In a statement reported by BBC Sport on Monday, FIFA said: “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.

“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

Naija News gathered that Artan was refused entry despite holding a valid visa. Neither FIFA nor US authorities have publicly disclosed further details regarding the decision.

Artan has built a strong reputation within African football since joining FIFA’s international referees list in 2018.

He has handled matches at major continental tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations, and has earned recognition from the Confederation of African Football as one of Africa’s leading referees.

His absence represents a significant setback for Somali football, which had viewed his appointment as a landmark moment for the country’s representation on the global stage.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, marking the first edition of the tournament to be staged across three countries. It will kick off on June 11.