A soccer referee from Somalia who was poised to make history as the first official from his nation to work a World Cup match has been blocked from entering the United States, according to a FIFA spokesperson who spoke Monday.
Omar Abdulkadir Artan was turned away at Miami International Airport over the weekend and will now miss the opportunity to train and officiate at the World Cup, which begins Thursday.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
Despite missing this historic opportunity, Artan expressed optimism about his future in an official statement.
“I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,” he said.
“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that a Somali citizen flying from Istanbul landed at Miami International Airport on Saturday but was turned away due to what the agency described as vetting concerns, though officials did not specify the nature of those issues.
The individual went through standard additional screening procedures before being refused admission, according to the agency.
“Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the CBP said.
Immigration restrictions under the Trump administration have raised questions leading up to the World Cup. The previous year, Washington implemented an extensive travel prohibition affecting citizens from 12 nations, with Somalia among them.
According to news reports, Artan possessed a valid visa for entry. Artan had received recognition as the Confederation of African Football’s Best Male Referee for 2025. Somalia’s embassy in Washington had not provided a response to requests for comment.
