FIFA has confirmed that Somali referee, Omar Artan, will miss the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.
According to a statement reported by BBC Sport on Monday, world football’s governing body said Artan will be unable to train or officiate at the tournament following the decision by US authorities.
The statement read, “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.”
Artan, who had been set to become the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup finals, was earlier reported to have been denied entry into the United States despite holding a valid visa.
He has been on FIFA’s refereeing list since 2018 and has officiated at major competitions, including the Africa Cup of Nations and has received CAF award recognition as one of the continent’s top referees in recent years.
His exclusion means he will no longer be part of the refereeing team for the tournament scheduled to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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