Somali referee says World Cup 'dream' ruined

Somalian referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan gestures during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group D football match on January 23, 2024. [AFP]

Somali referee Omar Artan said the "biggest dream of my life" had been ripped away after he  was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup.

Artan, who was named referee of the year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football, has been dropped from FIFA's list of officials after he was refused entry to the United States on arriving in Miami on Saturday.

Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump's administration as part of a broader immigration crackdown.

A US State Department official told AFP late Tuesday that the referee was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations," therefore "making the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States."

After an 11-hour interview with border officials, Artan said he was taken to a separate holding cell where he was detained for several further hours before being put on a flight back to Istanbul.

"I'm just simply a referee who's trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup," Artan told the New York Times on Tuesday in a telephone interview from the Turkish city.

"I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa," he added.

FIFA said it was powerless to influence the decision, which it said was the sole preserve of tournament co-hosts the United States.

"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country," said a spokesperson for football's governing body.

A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry following a routine inspection.

"Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry," the statement said.

The Somali government expressed "deep regret" at Artan's exclusion from the tournament.

"Artan represents the very best of Somali talent," the sports ministry said.

The largest World Cup in history begins on Thursday, shrouded in political tension.

Iran, who will play their three group games on American soil, were forced to switch their training base to Mexico due to the military conflict between Tehran and the US.

The Iranian football federation on Tuesday said its allocation of tickets for supporters had been revoked, while some of the team's support staff have been denied visas.