A World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States arrived Wednesday in Somali’s capital of Mogadishu, where he was received by a crowd of supporters and officials.
Omar Artan was set to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA’s final list for the tournament. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.
He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over “vetting concerns,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement without giving details of those concerns. FIFA subsequently cut him from the tournament's referee list.
Artan was issued a visa to travel to the U.S. last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya that processed it.
He returned to a hero’s welcome at the airport in Mogadishu.
He thanked the Somali government and people as well as FIFA for their support for him.
“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he said as hundreds of supporters at the airport waved the Somali flag. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”
