Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States for the 2026 World Cup and was removed from the final list of match officials after a lengthy immigration interview.
Despite holding a diplomatic passport and the required visa, Artan was subject to an 11‑hour interview and later held in a separate cell before being sent back to Istanbul.
FIFA announced that he would miss the tournament, confirming that U.S. immigration authorities had not decided to change his status.
Somali officials reported that Artan’s paperwork was valid, and the incident has been linked to a travel‑ban list inherited from a previous U.S. administration.
The World Cup, running from 11 June to 19 July, has already seen other administrative snags, including fan ticket revocations for Iran and complaints about arbitrary denials across the board.
