Somali referee denied US entry ahead of 2026 World Cup

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan expressed deep heartbreak and confusion after U.S. immigration authorities denied him entry into the country, shattering his lifelong dream of officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Artan, who was poised to make history as the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup tournament, arrived at Miami International Airport with what he maintained were fully valid travel documents and an approved visa. However, instead of being cleared for entry, he was subjected to an grueling 11-hour immigration interview by border officials, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Following the interrogation, Artan was placed in a holding cell for several hours before being forced onto a return flight to Istanbul.

“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan told The New York Times. “I am very, very disappointed. I'm just simply a referee who's trying to live his dream – the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”

According to the official, U.S. authorities failed to provide any formal explanation for turning him away at the border. Stripped of the opportunity of a lifetime, Artan suggested that his nationality may have played a defining role in the decision, stating, "I think that they have a problem with my country."

Neither U.S. Customs and Border Protection nor FIFA have publicly commented on the incident.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada