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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Jamie Spencer

‘World Cup of Chaos’—Referee Expecting to Make History Denied Entry to U.S.

Somali referee Omar Artan will no longer participate in the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the United States. He was set to make World Cup history as the first referee from Somalia to officiate, but has instead been turned away after flying into Miami from Istanbul.

Artan, named Africa’s best referee by CAF in 2025, was subjected to an “additional inspection” from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP concluded that “the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”

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