The United States have reportedly released a statement following the denial of entry for Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan prior to the World Cup.
Despite claiming to have the proper documentation and visa, the official, who was chosen as one of 52 referees for this summer’s tournament, was denied entry at the US border.
In 2025, Artan won Africa’s referee of the year award and would have been the first Somali to officiate a World Cup.
However, FIFA declared that he would not be permitted to oversee any games on the international arena, so that will no longer be the case.
US Believe Artan Has Links With Terror Organisations
According to the Evening Standard, the Trump administration has stated unequivocally that they suspect Artan was connected to “suspected members of terror organisations.”
With Donald Trump in office, US immigration laws have tightened once further, preventing citizens of 12 nations from entering the country, among them is Somalia.
Later, an administration official stated that CBP authorities had concluded that Artan posed a threat to national security.
“Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered,” the official said in comments shared with reporters on condition of anonymity.
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That made the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the official added.
“President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country, full stop.”
The Somali government said that they had attempted to negotiate with the US and FIFA to allow Artan to referee at the World Cup.
“His international achievements are a source of honour and pride for the Somali people,” the Somali sports ministry said in a statement.
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