Somali referee Omar Artan was turned away at Miami International Airport on June 6 and denied entry to the United States, stopping him from reaching the World Cup matches he had been named to oversee. He had been set to become the first Somali to referee at a World Cup, a milestone that now hangs on a decision made at the airport.
The denial landed at the center of the tournament because Artan had been named as a match official in April, putting him on track for one of the sport’s most visible appointments. His case has become a test of how quickly a career built on merit can be derailed when a referee is stopped at the border just as the tournament is about to begin.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said that on June 6, a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul International Airport and underwent additional inspection as part of the agency’s process. After that inspection, the traveler was found inadmissible because of vetting concerns and was denied entry. CBP said all travelers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches and staff, are subject to inspection and vetting, and that admissibility decisions are made case by case using law enforcement, national security and immigration information available at the time.
Ciise Aden Abshir, who spoke on Artan’s behalf, said the referee had a valid visa to enter the U.S. but was still turned away and has since flown back to Istanbul. Abshir said blocking Artan from officiating scheduled matches harms him personally and cuts against football’s promise of fairness, merit and fair play. The gap the authorities have not filled is the most important one: they have not said what specific vetting concern led to the denial.
That silence matters because Artan was not an obscure appointee. He became the first person from Somalia to take charge of a continental final when he refereed the 2024–25 CAF Champions League final, and in 2025 he was named men’s referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football. Somalia is also on the list of countries covered by President Donald Trump’s travel ban, a backdrop that gives the Miami decision sharper political weight even as FIFA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have been contacted for comment. For now, Artan is back in Istanbul, and the tournament may have lost the chance to feature the first Somali referee in World Cup history.
