According to The Sun, the Trump administration has officially stated that Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States because of an alleged link to suspected members of terror organizations. This came after the 34-year-old official was blocked from taking part in the World Cup, having arrived in Miami on June 6, 2026.
Artan, who is widely seen as one of the best referees in Africa, was held in a room at the airport for 11 hours before being flown back to Istanbul. The case drew a lot of attention, especially after Artan spoke openly about how upset he was over the decision.
He told the New York Times, “I am very, very disappointed,” and added, “I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa.” He further remarked, “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. I think that they have a problem with my country.”
Customs officials cited the Immigration and Nationality Act as the legal basis for the removal
In response to the controversy, the Trump administration gave a statement to Fox News to explain the legal reason behind the decision. The statement said that during an inspection by Customs and Border Protection, officials found derogatory information.
This information included a link to suspected members of terror organizations, which made the traveler ineligible for entry under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The administration stated, “President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country, full stop.”
The traveler was given immigration forms that listed the part of the law used to carry out an expedited removal under 8235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to The Sun. This step matches the wider border measures that President Trump has put in place since starting his second term in 2025. At present, citizens from 19 countries face full travel bans to the United States, while another 19 countries face partial restrictions.
Fifa has said it has no authority over the matter. In an official comment, the governing body stated, “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 organization also made clear that it is not involved in the host country’s immigration or visa decisions and was told that the referee’s status would not be changed. Further reporting covered how Fifa dropped the referee over vetting concerns.
The incident comes alongside other notable updates for the tournament, as Fifa has brought in several new rules for the 2026 World Cup. These changes include a five-second countdown for goal-kicks and throw-ins, along with a ten-second limit for substitutions to avoid a one-minute entry delay.
Other updates involve three-minute hydration breaks in each half and new red card triggers, such as walking off the pitch in protest or covering one’s mouth during confrontational talk. The buildup to the tournament has also seen ticketing problems, including a case where fans got free World Cup tickets through a glitch. The exclusion of Artan remains a major point of discussion among those following the event.
Published: Jun 10, 2026 12:45 pm