Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States after getting selected to officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026. US Customs and Border Protection confirmed on Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry after arriving at Miami International Airport from Istanbul.

Omar Artan was set to become the first official from Somalia to referee a match at the World Cup, following his selection to FIFA's final tournament list published two months ago. Widely regarded as one of Africa's premier officials, Artan was honoured as the continent's top male referee in 2025 by the African football governing body.