The Somali Football Federation has submitted an official diplomatic complaint to FIFA after international referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry into the United States upon arriving for World Cup duties. The 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Referee of the Year was intercepted by border personnel at Miami International Airport and subsequently deported back to Istanbul on Monday.
The BBC and The Athletic reported that Artan was set to make sporting history as the first-ever official from Somalia to oversee matches at a senior FIFA World Cup finals. Despite possessing a valid U.S. travel visa and utilizing an official diplomatic passport issued with the assistance of the Somali embassy in Nairobi, U.S. Customs and Border Protection refused him entry. No formal reason has been disclosed by immigration authorities, though analysts point to active executive travel restrictions implemented by the current Trump administration targeting several nations, including Somalia.
Hassan Wiish, the Chairman of the Somali Referees Committee, confirmed that the federation is seeking immediate clarification from both FIFA and U.S. sporting coordinators. The incident has caused significant disruption just four days prior to the opening match of the tournament, throwing Artan’s inclusion among the 52 selected elite tournament match officials into severe doubt.
The technical department of the Somali Football Federation stated that preventing Artan from fulfilling his tournament obligations fundamentally undermines the values of merit and fair play established by international sporting bodies. Artan, who has regularly overseen high-profile matches in the Somali national league and the Africa Cup of Nations since 2018, remains isolated at a transit facility in Turkey while the legal appeal is reviewed.
