Omar Artan, a Somali referee, was denied entry to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, then removed from FIFA’s tournament referee list. He returned to Mogadishu on June 10 to a crowd of hundreds at Aden Adde International Airport, promising he will
By the time Omar Artan stepped off the plane in Mogadishu, the airport had already turned into a celebration.
Hundreds of supporters. government officials and members of Somalia’s football community gathered at Aden Adde International Airport at 8:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 10, to welcome him home. As the aircraft arrived, fans waved national flags, chanted Artan’s name and crowded around him. A Somali flag was draped over his shoulders as the welcome swelled beyond the usual airport bustle.
“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” Artan told the cheering crowd, according to the Associated Press. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident. Our journey does not end here.”
For Artan, the return is a reversal of a decision that began days earlier. This year would have marked a historic milestone for him and for Somalia: he had been selected for his and the country’s first-ever referee World Cup appearance after being included in FIFA’s final list for the tournament.
Artan is widely regarded as one of Africa’s top referees. He earned the continent’s Best Male Referee award in 2025. Yet his World Cup plans were derailed when he was denied entry at Miami International Airport on June 6, after authorities described the refusal as “vetting concerns.”
The consequences moved quickly. Artan was subsequently removed from FIFA’s tournament referee list after U.S. Customs and Border Protection refused him admission, citing “association with suspected members of terror organizations.”
Somalia’s statement on the timeline adds a different pressure point to the dispute. According to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya, Artan had been granted a visa to travel to the United States just a week before the June 6 incident.
The sequence of events — a visa issued. entry denied. then FIFA removal — left Artan’s World Cup moment suspended and then effectively shut down before kickoff. Hundreds of people who came to Aden Adde International Airport made clear they saw more than a sports setback in his exclusion. choosing instead to treat his return as a rallying point.
Even as he pledged to be part of a future World Cup, the immediate reality of what was lost is hard to miss: Artan’s first World Cup selection, his place on FIFA’s final referee list, and the chance to turn Somalia’s debut on the world stage into history.
Iran’s team lands in Mexico for its FIFA World Cup matches after visa concerns as players and coaches speak on tensions between Iran and the U.S. That wider backdrop underscores how immigration and geopolitical frictions can spill into tournament preparations well before a ball is kicked — and how quickly a career-defining opportunity can be undone by a single border decision.
Omar Artan Somalia referee 2026 FIFA World Cup U.S. Customs and Border Protection Miami International Airport visa denied Aden Adde International Airport FIFA referee list Mogadishu