SOMALI REFEREE DENIED ENTRY TO WORLD CUP HE WAS ABOUT TO MAKE HISTORY AT

Omar Artan, named Africa's best male referee in 2025 and the first Somali ever selected to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, was denied entry to the United States at Miami International Airport on Saturday. He had a valid visa and FIFA documentation.

Artan was interrogated for eleven hours, placed in a holding cell, and put on a return flight to Istanbul. US Customs and Border Protection cited "vetting concerns." A Trump administration official later specified that Artan was flagged for "association with suspected members of terror organizations." Artan told The New York Times he was questioned about Somali politics and the al-Shabab militant group. He was not told specifically why he was refused.

FIFA immediately removed him from the tournament's referee list. He arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday to a crowd of supporters. "I promise you, God willing, I will attend the next one," he said.

The World Cup begins Thursday. It is being hosted by a country that has denied entry to an Iraqi player, fifteen Iranian officials, and now the first Somali referee in the tournament's history. The competition's official slogan is "We Are 26."

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