Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan speaks out after being banned from entering US

A referee from Somalia has spoken out after he was barred from entering the US ahead of the World Cup.

Omar Artan was set to make history as the first Somali referee at the football tournament, after he was selected to be one of 52 referees.

Sadly he has now been removed from the roster after he failed to enter the country due to rules put in place by Donald Trump.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.

“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

According to Metro, Artan was in possession of the correct travel documents he was turned away at Miami Dade Airport.

Omar Artan was set to be the first Somali referee at the World Cup (Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Artan shared a statement following the move, graciously saying: "I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future."

"I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions."

Just last year he was named the Confederation of African Football’s Best Male Referee.

The US Customs and Border Protection released a statement saying that a Somali national arrived via Istanbul on Saturday, and was 'deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns'.

They did not elaborate on what those concerns were.

"Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection," they added.

Andrew Giuliani is in charge of the White House Task Force on the World Cup.

He told the BBC World Service that he couldn't go into detail but insisted: "I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision."

Donald Trump implemented a complete ban on travel from certain countries as of June last year.

Somalia is on this list, as is Iran.

Donald Trump banned residents of 12 countries from entering the US last year (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

It has been reported that the Iranian team will be based in Mexico, and will only be allowed to make brief visits into the US to play in Los Angeles and Seattle.

The Iranian players have been granted the required visas, however 12 members of support staff have been denied entry.

Critics and football fans have hit out at the decisions on social media.

"Taking the World Cup to the U.S. (a country that doesn’t even call it ‘football’) will remain one of the worst decisions FIFA ever made. What a shame!" slammed one.

"I wonder if someone misread referee as refugee and sadly I’m not even joking," quizzed another.

"A historic moment for Somalia and world football denied by US immigration. Whether it's a paperwork issue or something deeper, this is a bad look for a country hosting a global tournament. Football should unite, not exclude," added one fan.