World Cup referee Omar Artan denied U.S. entry over alleged terror ties
FIFA referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been denied entry into the U.S. and removed from the World Cup officiating list following border security concerns.
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 World Cup, has been denied entry to the United States. The official arrived in Miami for a pre-tournament training camp but was held for questioning for 11 hours before being sent back to Turkey.
The Trump administration stated that the decision was based on "derogatory information," including suspected associations with members of terror organizations. According to a senior administration official, this rendered the traveler ineligible for admission under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
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
Artan, who was named the 2025 Confederation of African Football referee of the year, maintained that he possessed the correct papers and valid visa for his travel. Following the incident, he expressed gratitude to FIFA and the African football governing body for their support and stated his focus remains on his future officiating career.
The situation has sparked political debate. Democrat Congressman Rick Larsen noted that authorities seemingly based their decision on concerning communications found on the official's devices, while former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton criticized the move, arguing that host nations should not bar officials from performing their professional duties.