The International Association Football Federation (FIFA) confirmed, today, the news that Omar Abdulkadir Artan did not receive a visa from the American officials even though he was going to referee the football WC.
Customs control is extremely strict in the United States of America (Photo: EPAImages)
Ciise Aden Abshir, senior advisor to Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports, said he is “among the most respected referees in Africa” and “banning him from entering the United States and preventing him from refereeing (…) not only harms him personally, but also undermines soccer's commitment to fairness, merit and the spirit of fair play.”
According to AFP, quoted by News.ro, Artan was part of a contingent of nine officials from Africa, which includes three referees and six assistants. He was in charge of some CAF Champions League matches in 2026. He left Kenya, transited Turkey and finally arrived in the United States. There he was refused entry, being sent back.
According to sources, Omar Abdulkadir Artan was on a single-entry visa, not the multiple-entry permit required to officiate World Cup matches in Canada, Mexico and the US.
FIFA has stated that it will not intervene
FIFA confirmed that the Somali referee “will not be able to train or officiate at the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the United States. FIFA does not intervene in the host country's immigration procedures, including the visa process, and has been informed by the authorities that Mr. Artan's status will not be changed at this time,” it said in a statement. “In line with previous FIFA competitions, the host country's government has the final say on who receives a visa and who is admitted to its territory.”
The official reasons for the expulsion of Omar Abdulkadir Artan were not specified. However, he “had a valid visa”, Ciise Aden Abshir told AFP.
Somalia is on Trump's 'blacklist'
For the first time in the history of the competition, the World Cup will be held in three countries (United States, Mexico, Canada). The competition will take place between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
It must be said that Somalia is one of the many countries whose citizens are subject to a travel ban to the United States imposed by the Trump Administration. In late November 2025, the US president called Somalia a “rotten country” and announced his intention to end the special status that protects Somali citizens from deportation.
