The Trump administration said Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan had been denied entry to the country because of links to “suspected members of terror organisations” making him a “national security threat”.
Artan, who was Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become Somalia’s first official at a World Cup but was refused entry to the US by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the weekend. Fifa stated Artan would now not be able to officiate at the tournament, which begins this week and is co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
