Top African referee denied entry into the US and will miss World Cup
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Artan, who says he was detained for 11 hours at Miami International Airport, would play no part in the World Cup.
Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan has been dropped from officiating at the World Cup after being barred from entering the United States, world football's governing body FIFA said on Monday.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Artan, who was refused entry to the US after arriving at Miami International Airport on Saturday, would play no part in the World Cup.
In an interview with the New York Times, Artan said he had been detained for 11 hours and held in a cell, despite claiming he had a valid visa.
Speaking from Istanbul, Artan said, "I'm just a referee trying to live my biggest dream, to go to the World Cup".
He told the newspaper he was questioned on Somali politics by US border officials and said "I think they have a problem with my country".
Artan would have been the first Somali to referee at a World Cup.
"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," the spokesperson told the AFP news agency.
FIFA emphasised that it was powerless to influence the decision, which it said was the sole preserve of tournament co-hosts 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," the spokesperson said.
"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country."
A spokesperson for United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Artan was denied entry following a routine inspection.
"During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP's inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility," the CBP spokesperson said.
"Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry."
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.
In a statement to AFP, Artan said he wanted to concentrate on the future.
"Despite the circumstances I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career," he sai
"I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions."
Somalia offers referee 'unwavering support'
Somalia defended Artan after his entry ban.
"The Ministry of Youth and Sports reaffirms its unwavering support for Omar Artan and...has full confidence in his integrity, professionalism and continued contribution to the advancement of football both in Somalia and internationally," the country's ministry of sports said in a statement.
Artan was among the 52 referees announced by FIFA for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
He has been officiating in the Somali national football league championships since he became a FIFA referee in 2018 and refereed in the most recent edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.
In 2025, he was named by the Confederation of African Football as men's referee of the year.
Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud praised Artan in April after he made history as the first Somali to be selected to officiate at the World Cup finals.
"I commend the effort, professionalism and integrity shown by referee Omar, as he has become a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis," said Mohamud.
Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan receives warm welcome home after being denied entry to US
Andrew Giuliani, who is leading the White House task force for the FIFA World Cup, has said Artan was denied entry to the US for a "very good reason," without offering further details.
Somali football referee Omar Artan returned home on Wednesday to a swarm of fans and reporters after being denied entry to the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Crowds gathered at Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport waving Somali flags and brandishing posters while photographers scrambled to capture shots of the referee as he stepped onto the runway.
Artan is one of the world's top-rated officials and had been in line to become the first referee from Somalia to take charge of a World Cup fixture before he was refused entry to the US at Miami International Airport last week.
Somalia is among a number of nations subject to a travel ban issued by US President Donald Trump, who has sought to crack down on immigration since his return to the White House.
Speaking to The New York Times, Artan said on Tuesday that he had been questioned by US border officials about his documentation and career for 11 hours before being taken to a holding cell and eventually flown to Istanbul.
“I am very, very disappointed,” he told the paper.
"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," he continued, adding that he had the "right papers" and the "right visa".
The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Artan had been refused entry to the country following a routine inspection.
"During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP's inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility," the CBP said. "Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry."
Andrew Giuliani, who is leading the White House task force for the FIFA World Cup, has said the refusal was for a "very good reason" and that he supported the decision, without offering any additional details on the matter.
Border control has taken centre stage ahead of the 2026 edition of the tournament, with a number of national teams experiencing visa issues and being subjected to additional security measures.
The decision to deny Artan entry has prompted particular criticism from across the football world and beyond.
England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright questioned whether the move was within the "spirit of football" and branded it a "World Cup of chaos".
"I feel for the American fans who are desperate for this," he said in a video posted to social media. "How embarrassing for them this must be".
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also weighed in on the decision, sending his support to Artan
"This won’t be the end of your story on the world stage," he said.
Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices, says fans 'should chill' about ref denied US entry
The 2026 men's World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams and is the biggest and most ambitious in the event's history, with matches taking place in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices on Wednesday, saying “if we are doing something wrong, everyone in North America is doing something wrong.”
FIFA priced tickets starting at $140 (€121) for the 48-nation, 104-game tournament that starts on Thursday and priced regular seats up to $8,680 (€7,518) for the 19 July final in New Jersey.
It raised prices for the final to $10,990 (€9,518) and then $32,970 (€28,556).
After criticism from fans, FIFA offered a small amount of $60 (€51) tickets to national federations for their regular supporters. Infantino said on Wednesday 130,000 tickets were offered at that price, out of 6-7 million total.
Infantino said the average ticket price was under $500 (€433) for the tournament and was comparable to other US sports during their playoffs, a claim that while true for resale prices does not appear to be accurate for list prices.
He said he was unconcerned about investigations by attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas.
“We are very relaxed about it because before starting to sell 6.5 million or 7 million tickets we check what we do with the best lawyers,” he said. “We welcome every investigation.”
The NBA Finals have had wildly varied get-in prices, ranging from a minimum of about $500 for the first two games in San Antonio to about $10,000 (€8,661) for Game 3 in New York. Game 4 in New York was much less, dropping to about $4,000 (€3,464) on Wednesday
The Stanley Cup Final this year between teams in Las Vegas and Raleigh, North Carolina, has included a get-in price of at least $600 (€519) for each of the first four games of the best-of-seven series.
FIFA powerless to get US entry for Somali referee
Infantino said it was “unfortunate” that Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US and said people “should chill.”
He said FIFA cannot dictate to governments who to let into their countries, though it is working “behind the scenes.”
“We always try to make the situation as positive as possible and to find solutions," he said. "Sometimes we manage, other times not.”
“We don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth,” he said.
Artan insisted he had the correct visa for the US but he was turned back at Miami International Airport and then put on a flight back to Turkey.
A US State Department official said the referee was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations", therefore "making the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States."
Thousands of people turned out to welcome Artan back to the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday.
"I will be at the next World Cup and will continue to make Somalia proud...Despite what has happened to me, I am not discouraged," he told journalists.
Artan, who was named the 2025 men's referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football, would have been the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup.
Meanwhile, concerns were rising that the curtain-raiser in Mexico City could be disrupted by social unrest.
Protesters blocked an avenue leading to the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday although lines of police prevented the demonstrators from reaching the stadium.
Thousands took part in the demonstration following a week of action that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has called a "provocation."
Sheinbaum has said that the opening match was "guaranteed," though the left-leaning leader again ruled out using police to repress the demonstrations.
US President Donald Trump, who has forged a close friendship with Infantino, announced plans to attend the World Cup, although he did not say which games.
"I spoke to Gianni this morning...he said there's never been anything close," to the success of the coming tournament, Trump said.
Messi sparkles on return
On the pitch, Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi scored moments after coming off the bench on Tuesday to dispel any injury doubts and help the holders win their final warm-up game.
The 38-year-old Messi had not featured for Argentina in the build-up to their title defence after injuring a hamstring playing for Inter Miami in late May.
He was introduced as a substitute with 20 minutes left to huge acclaim from a capacity 88,000 crowd against Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, and his clever through ball played in Lautaro Martinez, who was fouled in the box.
Messi, who drove Argentina to their third World Cup crown in Qatar four years ago and is set to feature in his sixth World Cup, lashed in the penalty to help the reigning champions ease to a 3-0 win.
Argentina's first match is on 16 June against Algeria in Kansas City.
Along with Spain, France and England, Argentina are among the favourites to win the title.
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