Somali referee Omar Artan denied US World Cup entry over terror links, returns home to hero's welcome
Somali referee Omar Artan was barred from entering the United States for the 2026 World Cup after US officials cited 'association with suspected terrorist organization members' upon his arrival at Miami International Airport. FIFA subsequently removed him from the 52-referee roster for the tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the US.
Artan returned to Mogadishu this week to a hero's welcome, with over 100 supporters waving national flags outside the VIP section of the city's main airport as he disembarked from a Turkish Airlines flight. The CAF men's referee of the year for 2025 declared: 'I will be at the next World Cup and will continue to make Somalia proud… Despite what has happened to me, I am not discouraged,' vowing to compete in 2030.
Somalia's president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had previously called Artan 'a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis' in April, while Mogadishu government official Mohamed Said condemned the US decision as 'wrong[ing] him in a way that hurts everybody concerned about humanity.' The denial sparked domestic outrage despite Artan's CAF recognition.
Will Artan's determination to overcome this bureaucratic hurdle and aim for the 2030 World Cup inspire other African officials facing similar international barriers?