Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not take part in this summer’s World Cup after he was denied entry into the United States, FIFA confirmed on Monday.
When asked about Artan’s case, a US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CNN that he underwent additional inspection upon arriving in Miami following a flight from Istanbul.
“During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” the spokesperson said. “Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
Somalia is one of the 39 nations affected by the Trump administration’s travel ban. The CBP spokesperson did not provide details on why Artan was refused entry, but nationals of countries listed under Trump’s travel ban are placed under additional scrutiny.
A Trump administration official later told CNN the vetting uncovered “derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations.” The official did not provide further details on the alleged association with terror organizations.
Artan was named Africa’s top male referee in 2025 and was chosen by the Confederation of African Football to take part in this year’s World Cup. He was one of seven African referees chosen and would have been the first Somali to referee at the World Cup.
In a statement CNN obtained from a Somali official, Artan said, “Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career.
“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.
“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.”
In a subsequent interview with the New York Times, Artan said he was “very disappointed” by the decision and had been granted a visa ahead of his arrival.
“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,” he said, adding he was interviewed for 11 hours in Miami before his deportation.
FIFA, which organizes the World Cup, said immigration decisions were the purview of host countries for the tournament.
“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,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement. “In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
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The news of Artan’s ban comes after other countries, notably Iran, have also had some issues with entry into the United States amid the Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies.
The president of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, said Sunday that the Iranian soccer team had been granted permission to enter the US for the tournament, but “only one day before the match,” according to semi-official Iranian media, sparking accusations of unfair treatment.
Amir Ghalenoei, Iran’s head coach, added that some management staff, media personnel and an executive director have still not been granted permission to attend the tournament.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
