Fifa drops Somali referee from World Cup after US denies entry

Fifa drops Somali referee from World Cup after US denies entry Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 06/09/2026 - 00:57 A Fifa official since 2018, Omar Artan was set to be the first Somali to referee at the World Cup finals Somali referee Omar Artan gestures during an Africa Cup of Nations match in Bouake, Ivory Coast, 23 January 2024 (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP) Off Football governing body Fifa has removed Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan from the 2026 World Cup officiating roster after American authorities denied him entry into the country, ending what would have been the first World Cup finals appearance by a Somali match official. Artan, the Confederation of African Football's men's referee of the year in 2025, was barred from entering the US at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey. US immigration authorities have not publicly provided a reason for the decision.