Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan.
Photo: Issouf SANOGO / AFP
An African referee was on Monday dropped from the World Cup after he was denied entry to the United States, reigniting concerns about how Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown could disrupt the tournament.
Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan was barred from entering the United States.
A Fifa spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Artan, who was refused entry to the US after arriving at Miami International Airport on Saturday, would play no part in the World Cup.
Artan would have been the first Somali to referee at a World Cup.
“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,” the spokesperson told AFP.
Fifa emphasized that it was powerless to influence the decision, which it said was the sole preserve of tournament co-hosts the United States.
“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.
A spokesperson for United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Artan was denied entry following a routine inspection.
“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 CBP 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 several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
In a statement to AFP, Artan said he wanted to concentrate on the future.
“Despite the circumstances I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” 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.”
‘Inspiration’
A government adviser in Mogadishu told AFP earlier Monday that Artan had a valid visa for the US.
The tournament kicks off on Thursday.
“Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, said.
Abshir said Artan flew back to Istanbul after being refused entry in Miami.
“Denying him entry to the United States and preventing him from officiating scheduled matches harms not only him personally but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play,” Abshir added.
Artan was among the 52 referees announced by Fifa for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
In 2025 he was named by the Confederation of African Football as men’s referee of the year.
Iran’s team were spending their first full day at their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico after arriving in the eye of a diplomatic storm after the US – embroiled in a military conflict with the Islamic republic – refused to issue visas to 15 of their support staff.
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei complained on Sunday that the process of obtaining visas had delayed his team’s arrival by a week.
He added: “Usually in these tournaments, before technical matters, ethical and human considerations must be respected – which I think for us it was not the case.”
‘Peace and tranquility’-
With the big kickoff in Mexico City on Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed to ensure that threatened demonstrations by a teachers’ union over demands for salary raises do not disrupt the opening game between her country and South Africa.
“We are going to guarantee… that the celebration of the World Cup is well-executed, in peace and tranquility,” Sheinbaum said.
On June 1, police dispersed protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets near the historic Zocalo square in Mexico City where authorities have erected a massive viewing screen for a World Cup fan zone.
Streets surrounding the square are closed off with metal barricades, which Sheinbaum has said are meant to guard against “provocations.”
As the days ticked down to the start of this expanded World Cup, the 48 teams settled into their base camps.
Five-time World Cup winners Brazil were among the squads getting familiar with their homes for a tournament that will stretch for five and half weeks until the final on July 19.
Brazil star Bruno Guimaraes insisted his team should get “the respect they deserve” as they prepare to kick off their bid to win a record-extending sixth World Cup.
The Selecao won the last of their five titles in 2002 and have exited at the quarter-final stage four times in five editions since then.
“Nobody else has five stars on their chest. We have great players who play for top teams, like Vini (Vinicius Junior) and Raphinha. We need to give our players the respect they deserve,” Guimaraes told reporters in New Jersey.
The team also said Neymar, Brazil’s leading international scorer who was only recalled to the national team after a two-year absence for the World Cup, was “recovering well” from a calf injury.
The 34-year-old remains a doubt for Brazil’s first game against Morocco on Saturday.
France, beaten finalists in 2022 and tipped to make a deep run this year, rounded off their preparations in style as Michael Olise struck a hat-trick in a 3-1 defeat of Northern Ireland in Lille.
Olise’s triple helped to dispel doubts that crept in after France lost their previous warm-up game to Ivory Coast.
Didier Deschamps’ side will head to the US and their training base near Boston on Wednesday before taking on Senegal in their opener next Tuesday.
– AFP