Why Somali referee Omar Artan cannot officiate World Cup games in Canada and Mexico after being denied USA entry

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the first Somali referee ever selected for a FIFA World Cup, has been left out from the 2026 tournament after being denied entry into the United States. He arrived in Miami, was pulled aside for additional inspection and was ultimately deemed inadmissible due to what U.S.

Artan told the New York Times he was “very disappointed” by the decision. He is reportedly in Istanbul, Turkey while he awaits possible developments.

He is not alone in his experiences. Iraq’s star striker Aymen Hussein was detained and interrogated for seven hours at Chicago O’Hare Airport upon arrival with the national team, according to a team official cited by Reuters. Officers reportedly confiscated his mobile phone and spent hours reviewing his personal documents, before finally allowing him in.

The team’s official photographer, Talal Salah, was not so lucky. He was pulled aside alongside Hussein, put through an even longer process and ultimately declared inadmissible. He never entered the country.