Top African referee Omar Artan denied entry to USA for World Cup
Omar Artan was expecting to officiate at the World Cup this summer (Picture: Getty Images)
Somali referee Omar Artan has been denied entry into America, where he was due to referee at the World Cup this summer.
The 34-year-old had travelled to the United States via Kenya and Türkiye, granted a diplomatic passport in Nairobi in an attempt to help his travel.
Somalia is one of the countries on the travel ban list brought in by President Trump.
Despite FIFA claiming last week that Artan’s visa situation had been ‘fully resolved and he will now be available to officiate at the FIFA World Cup,’ he has been denied entry into the US.
All the World Cup action
Get everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day. Sign up here.
The referee had a valid visa and the diplomatic passport, but has flown back to Istanbul.
Ciise Aden Abshir, senior advisor to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, told AFP: ‘Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community.
‘Artan had a valid visa for the US. He has flown back to Istanbul, where he has been staying.
Artan refereed in the CAF Champions League final (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Denying him entry to the United States and preventing him from officiating scheduled matches harms not only him personally but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play.’
Artan has been a FIFA referee since 2018 and has officiated at the African Cup of Nations and the CAF Champions League.
He was named the CAF men’s referee of the year in 2025 and became the first Somalian to be selected to referee at the World Cup finals this year.
Artan with Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA referees committee, last year (Picture: Getty Images)
The Iran team has also faced issues ahead of the World Cup, with players only issued with visas last week.
They have also been told that they must fly in and out of US territory on the same day of their matches from their base in Mexico.
All of Iran’s group stage games are to be held in the US.
Some support staff have not been given the visas they applied for, with the US State Department telling the BBC that they would not allow Iran to ‘abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences’.
Iraq World Cup photographer denied U.S. entry, player questioned at O’Hare Airport News The U.S. Customs and Border Protection denied entry on Friday to an Iraq national soccer team photographer and questioned a player for hours at O’Hare International Airport as the team arrived for an exhibition match this week ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The two were pulled aside for “additional…
FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums: USA, Mexico and Canada venues News FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums: USA, Mexico, and Canada venues Before learning about all the FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums, it’s important to understand that the 2026 Football World Cup is special for so many reasons. After 1994, the United States is once again hosting the Football World Cup. It…
World Cup hit by more controversy after Iranians and fans denied visas News Fans in Iraq, the Ivory Coast and other countries can’t cheer on their teams (Picture: Getty) Donald Trump’s travel bans and tighter visa restrictions have left football fans struggling to access tickets or travel to the US fuming. More than a quarter of the countries taking part in the World…
World Cup 2026: Oddsmakers see clear top-tier favorites in 48-team field News By GREG DUDEK, Boston Herald The odds of winning this year’s World Cup are greater than they’ve ever been. That’s due to the tournament being the largest ever assembled with the field expanding from 32 teams to 48. The additional teams could create even more uncertainty and chaos, especially when…
Sir Idris Elba: ‘Audiences won’t go for a Black African male playing James Bond’ Entertainment Sir Idris Elba has set the James Bond rumours straight once again (Picture: AFP via Getty Images) For the umpteenth time, no, Sir Idris Elba won’t be the first Black male actor to play James Bond, but he’s not sure anyone else should be either. Ever since it was announced…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
