Who is Omar Abdulkadir Artan? Somali referee denied entry to US (original) (raw)
Omar Abdulkadir Artan, one of Africa's leading soccer referees, was refused entry to the United States after traveling to officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Artan was set to become the first Somali to ever referee at a World Cup, but he was turned away at Miami International Airport on Saturday.
Artan made history in 2024 as the first Somali referee to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations, and was named the Confederation of African Football (CAF) men's referee of the year in 2025.
It is not yet clear why Artan was turned away on Saturday. However, Somalia is one of a number of countries that President Donald Trump's administration placed on a travel ban list to "protect the nation from foreign terrorist and other national security and public safety threats."
Artan believed he had a valid work visa despite the ban, Sky Sports reported, but a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) spokesperson said he was denied entry after "additional inspection" found he "was inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry."
FIFA confirmed Artan would not be able to officiate at the World Cup, saying that it was "not involved in host country immigration processes."
"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country," a spokesperson said.
Artan said in a statement that he would stay positive despite the circumstances and thanked FIFA and CAF for their support.
"I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future," he said.
Who Is Omar Artan?
Artan, 34, was in Mogadishu during Somalia's civil-war era and grew up amid instability and limited sporting infrastructure and opportunities.
After officiating in Somali leagues he progressed to be included on FIFA’s international referees list in 2018, according to Somali news outlet Hiiraan Online.
Artan came to prominence at AFCON 2024 in Côte d'Ivoire, where he refereed Tunisia's shock defeat to Namibia and Mauritania's historic victory over Algeria, matches that produced two of the tournament's most memorable wins by underdogs.
On June 1, 2025 Artan took charge of the second leg of the CAF Champions League final between Egypt's Pyramids FC and South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns in Cairo, becoming the first Somali referee to oversee the continent's premier club soccer final, according to SportsNewsAfrica.
Later that year, the CAF named him African Referee of the Year, in recognition of his rapid ascent and growing reputation as one of the continent's leading officials.
Somalia Part of Trump’s Travel Ban
Last week, Trump banned travel from 12 countries, including Somalia. The others are: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Sudan and Yemen.
Trump also issued partial restrictions on individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
He cited the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, targeting a group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas, for the need to "protect the nation from foreign terrorist" threats.
"The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country, by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don't want them," he said in a video address.
On Somalia, the White House said: "Somalia stands apart from other countries in the degree to which its government lacks command and control of its territory…The U.S. Government has identified Somalia as a terrorist safe haven."
Somali ambassador to the U.S., Dahir Hassan Abdi, said in response: "Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised."