Judge Omar Cartan Speaks After Being Denied Entry to the United States

ANKARA – International referee Omar Abdulqadir Cartan thanked the “football community” and the Somali people for their support after being denied entry to the United States, where he was scheduled to be one of the referees officiating the 2026 World Cup.

Omar Cartan stated in a statement that despite these difficult circumstances, he remains in good spirits and is focusing on the upcoming challenges in his refereeing career.

Omar Cartan said: “I thank the football community for the messages they sent me, and I wish my fellow referees great success during the World Cup. I hope to reunite with future competitions. I also thank FIFA and CAF for their support, and I promise to continue to elevate my refereeing standards as I focus on the future.”

The FIFA World Football Association confirmed that this decision is beyond their control and cannot be reversed.

A statement from FIFA said: “FIFA confirms that referee Omar Cartan will not be able to officiate the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the United States. FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of the host country, including visa issuance, and the authorities of that country have informed us that they cannot change the decision regarding Mr. Cartan at this time.”

A senior official from the Somali government told Reuters that diplomatic efforts are still ongoing to get Omar Cartan to the United States to participate in the tournament, but he refrained from providing further details.

The Somali Ministry of Youth and Sports previously stated that they had failed in attempts to negotiate with the United States and FIFA for Cartan to enter the country, expressing deep regret over what happened.

Omar Cartan, who was named the best referee in Africa last year, was returned from Miami, Florida, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that after an investigation, he was removed from the United States, confirming that his visa was valid, but he was denied entry to the country.

The referee returned to Turkey after being expelled from the United States.

Somalia is one of the 12 countries whose citizens President Donald Trump banned from entering the United States in December 2025, citing concerns related to terrorism.