5 hours ago
1
Mogadishu, Somalia – Barely a few days had passed between the celebrations that greeted news of Somali referee Omar Artan’s journey to the World Cup—a milestone that inspired pride and optimism among Somali football fans—and the crushing realisation that he would not, in fact, be attending because of United States immigration restrictions.
The possibility had worried many from the outset. Donald Trump had previously threatened to bar Iran from the tournament before FIFA intervened, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani — whose father, Mahmood, recently revealed he had once come close to taking Somali citizenship — warned that a surge of ICE activity in the city risked undermining the spirit of the tournament.
Recommended Stories
list of 2 items- list 1 of 2FIFA drops Somali World Cup referee after US denies him entry
- list 2 of 2US confirms it denied entry to Somali referee set to take part in World Cup
Trump has more specifically targeted both Somalia and the Somali American community with inflammatory rhetoric and has placed Somalia on a travel ban. Until Artan was in the US training with his fellow referees, there was always a risk that something could go wrong.
Artan, Africa’s reigning top referee, was posting hopefully just days in advance: “Off to Miami”, he wrote from his Istanbul hotel, where he was transiting. He would have become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup, and one of seven from Africa.
But Artan was turned back at Miami International Airport and flown to Istanbul, despite travelling on a valid visa and the State Department’s own rules exempting participants in major sporting events from the travel ban. Border officers instead deemed him inadmissible, citing unspecified “vetting concerns”.
Artan received a hero’s welcome upon arriving at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport on Wednesday. He was greeted on the runway by senior government officials and welcomed outside the airport by jubilant supporters.
Addressing the crowd, Artan thanked the Somali people and government for their support and struck a defiant tone.
“Somalia belongs to all of us. Whether times are good or difficult, I want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country,” he said.
On Tuesday, Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports said it was “deeply saddened” by the decision, adding that the government had made “extensive diplomatic efforts” and engaged in negotiations with US authorities, but without success.
FIFA said the matter fell under the jurisdiction of US immigration authorities and was therefore beyond its control. Somali officials, however, told Al Jazeera that they believed FIFA ultimately bore responsibility for the situation.
Mohamed Salad, a Somali sports journalist, described the outcome as a major blow for the country.
“When Omar was selected, Somalis celebrated as if the national team had qualified for the World Cup,” Salad told Al Jazeera. “For the first time, we would have had one of our own, born and raised in Somalia, representing us on the biggest stage in world football.”
Abukar Arman, a former Somali diplomat in the United States, told Al Jazeera that Artan posed no security threat and had no criminal record.
“This is just another manifestation of Trump’s vindictive and obsessive politics, which routinely demonises anything associated with Somalia,” Arman said.
The reason for Artan’s denial of entry remains unclear. However, Andrew Giuliani, director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, told a panel hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank that there was “a good reason” for the decision, without providing further details.
A US official later said that a Somali national had been denied entry because of alleged links to individuals suspected of involvement with “terrorist” organisations.
Chris Carr, a sports immigration lawyer, told Al Jazeera that while US authorities may have had grounds to refuse Artan entry, the decision was unusual, given his public profile and the extensive vetting required to obtain a visa.
“Given his achievements and his profession, this is a highly surprising decision,” Carr said.
A symbol of inspiration
Born in Mogadishu, Artan has long been a source of pride for Somali football fans. His rise came against a backdrop of decades during which Somalia’s national teams and sporting figures were largely absent from major international competitions following the collapse of the Somali state in 1991.
In a 2018 interview with local media while officiating in the Somali National League, the country’s top football competition, Artan spoke of his ambition to referee at the highest level and showcase Somalia on the world stage.
“I have the desire and the confidence, and with the help of Allah, I will one day officiate at the biggest tournaments and elevate Somalia on the global stage,” he said.
He also offered a message of perseverance: “Whatever you set your mind to, if you work hard and dedicate yourself fully, you can achieve it.”
Artan previously told Al Jazeera that he shifted his ambitions from playing to refereeing after sustaining injuries early in his career. He also recalled the fragile security situation in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, where deadly attacks often forced him to change routes in order to officiate matches, but didn’t deter him.
Omar Artan officiates an Africa Cup of Nations match between Mauritania and Algeria in Bouake, Ivory Coast, on January 23, 2024 [Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP]Somalia’s government has been battling al-Shabab, a local al-Qaeda affiliate, since 2006. The group has frequently carried out attacks across the country.
Artan made his debut at a major tournament at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where his assertive refereeing style and confident poise earned praise and, more importantly, electrified Somali fans who had long been eager to see representatives of their country on football’s biggest stages.
The East African newspaper, The Eastleigh Voice, described his presence at the AFCON as a “groundbreaking moment for Somali football” when he became the first Somali referee to participate in the tournament.
His first AFCON match as a referee was Namibia vs Tunisia, which Salad, the sports journalist, said was watched by “thousands of Somalis eager to see how their man would handle the pressure”.
Artan, named African Referee of the Year in 2025, was selected for the FIFA World Cup earlier this year. Heaping praise on him, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said he had “become a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis”.
Previously speaking to Al Jazeera, Artan said he was excited to participate in a World Cup. “For me, it is an honour to be the first Somali to go there and I hope I will do fantastic there,” he said. “Every time you play a game, you have to be perfect. If you make a mistake, then all your achievements don’t matter,” he said.
Jamaal Shiil, a former director general at Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, told Al Jazeera that Artan had become a “household name” and an inspiration to young people nationwide.
“He rose to the top in Somalia, and then the top across Africa, and then he got his dream of being at the World Cup,” Shiil said. “He was setting an example for young Somalis and people across Africa.”
Shiil said turning him away sent the wrong message to aspiring young Somalis. “Some people could think, I try my best, and do everything, but in the end, one thing like this can take it all away,” he told Al Jazeera.
Show of support
Artan has received an outpouring of support both in Somalia and abroad since he was denied entry to the United States.
Several prominent Somali opposition figures, including former President Farmaajo and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, publicly backed Artan. Djibouti’s Finance Minister Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, also voiced his support, writing on X: “We are all Omar Abdulkadir Artan.”
The controversy has resonated strongly among football fans. At a recent match between two local teams in Somalia, supporters held up photographs of Artan in protest against his exclusion from the World Cup.
The decision has also drawn criticism from prominent figures in international sport and politics. Ian Wright, the former Arsenal and England striker, lamented what he described as the growing impact of travel restrictions on the tournament.
“Every few hours, it’s another story,” Wright said in a video message. “Another story about fans denied, players denied, officials denied, journalists denied. Now referees? Is this how the hosts behave?”
Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of Britain’s Labour Party, described the decision as “an absolute disgrace”.
“A FIFA-certified referee being denied entry to the United States purely because he is Somali,” Corbyn wrote in a post on X.
Somalis hold photos of referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan during a match between Gaadiidka and Juba at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu. Artan, who had been expected to officiate matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was denied entry to the United States. [Reuters/Feisal Omar]Hillary Clinton, the former US Secretary of State, called the decision “counterproductive” and “terribly backward”.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization chief, in a post on X, said Artan had reached the summit of his profession, as “first Somali referee to get there, and as #Africa’s best. That milestone stands no matter what.
“This won’t be the end of your story on the world stage,” he added.
