Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry to the United States at Miami International Airport during the weekend, ending his chance to become the first official from Somalia to referee at a men's World Cup.

Somali government and football representatives said Artan had a valid US visa and appropriate travel documents. US immigration authorities did not publicly state why he was refused entry. Somalia was among the countries covered by a broad travel ban introduced by President Donald Trump's administration, but the supplied reporting did not establish that the ban was the specific basis for Artan's case.

Artan returned to Istanbul, where he had recently been based. FIFA subsequently removed him from the tournament's officiating list after contacting US authorities. The governing body said it had been informed that his status would not change and stressed that host governments, rather than FIFA, decide who receives a visa and who may enter. Those confirmations came on Monday, after the event date.

FIFA's refereeing programme was centred on a training base in Miami for 52 referees and 88 assistant referees. All on-field officials were required to stay there for preparation, training and security. That arrangement meant Artan could not simply remain outside the United States and work matches staged in Canada or Mexico.

Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House task force for the World Cup, said Customs and Border Protection had made the correct decision. He referred to derogatory information but declined to describe it. Artan was not accused of an offence in the supplied reports, and the undisclosed information could not be independently assessed.

Artan had been a FIFA referee since 2018 and had officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations. The Confederation of African Football named him men's referee of the year in 2025. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had praised his selection in April as an inspiration for young Somalis.

Ciise Aden Abshir, an adviser to Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports, said denying Artan the opportunity undermined football's principles of merit and fair play. The Somali Football Federation sought urgent clarification from FIFA. Artan thanked FIFA and African football officials for their support and said he would maintain his refereeing standards while preparing for future competitions.

Other World Cup participants had encountered US entry problems, but their circumstances differed. The Guardian reported disputes involving Iranian staff, an extended questioning of Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein and an initially denied Swiss player visa that was later resolved. The supplied evidence does not support the discovery note's broader claim that unspecified groups from Iran, Iraq and Somalia were all denied visas on the same basis.