Omar Artan was due to become his nation’s first to oversee a World Cup match, but was denied entry in Miami despite having a valid visa
Omar Artan, who was set to become the first Somali to referee a FIFA World Cup match but was denied entry by the US, has been honored as a national hero upon his return home.
The 34-year old was detained for some 11 hours by US immigration officials before being sent back to Istanbul, despite having all the necessary paperwork in place and being poised to become the first Somali World Cup referee.
The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, has been beset by organizational concerns, including shifting US entry policies.
Last year, US President Donald Trump’s administration imposed a sweeping travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia.
Artan touched down at Mogadishu’s airport on Wednesday and was greeted by hundreds of people, including local government officials and representatives of the Somali Football Federation. Some were waving national flags and carrying banners featuring photos of him.
Referee Mohamed Atan got a hero’s welcome back in Somalia 🇸🇴 they might think they have broken him but they have created a new hero with many open doors for opportunities.
He thanked his compatriots for their support and vowed to officiate at the next World Cup.
In 2025, the Confederation of African Football named Artan the continent’s best referee of the year. He went on to make the list of 52 referees for the 2026 World Cup selected by FIFA.
The New York Times conducted a telephone interview on Tuesday, when the 34-year-old said he was in Istanbul, Türkiye awaiting a connecting flight. Artan recounted how he had arrived at Miami International Airport on Saturday with a valid visa, but was taken aside by border officials for 11 hours of questioning.
The Somali referee told the newspaper he had all the “right papers,” including documentation from FIFA, but was nevertheless put on a flight back to Istanbul, with no explanation forthcoming.
“I think that they have a problem with my country,” he surmised.
The NYT quoted the US Customs and Border Protection as confirming that the “traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns.”
The publication suggested that Artan might have attracted particular scrutiny because a Somali national with a similar name is on a US sanctions list over his alleged ties to the Al Shabab terrorist group.
