The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been hit by fresh controversy as Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was removed from the officiating roster after being denied entry into the United States. Additionally, Iran's football federation announced that its ticket allocation has been revoked just days before the tournament begins.
Artan's Historic Journey Cut Short
Omar Abdulkadir Artan, 34, was set to make history as the first Somali official to referee a men's FIFA World Cup match. He had earned his place among Africa's three selected centre referees after being named CAF's Best Male Referee of 2025. His appointment was widely celebrated as a milestone for Somali football and African refereeing.
However, days before the tournament's opening on June 11, Artan was stopped at Miami International Airport and returned to Turkey, forcing FIFA to remove him from the officiating panel. According to reports from Sky Sports and The Athletic, Artan traveled from Istanbul to Miami on June 6 with a valid US visa and a diplomatic passport, with support from the Somali Embassy in Nairobi.
Upon arrival, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers subjected him to additional screening and deemed him "inadmissible due to vetting concerns." He was placed on a return flight to Istanbul the same day. U.S. officials have not publicly detailed the specific reasons, though reports noted that Somalia remains under heightened travel scrutiny under current immigration policies.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the development, stating, "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. A host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country."
Iran's Ticket Allocation Revoked
In a separate development, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) announced that its ticket allocation had been pulled just days before the World Cup starts. This leaves Iranian supporters who had already made travel plans unable to attend their team's matches.
Iran is set to play their first two Group G games in Los Angeles against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The FFIRI stated that it had begun the ticket sales process but could no longer provide tickets to fans.
"This is even though many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches," the FFIRI said in a statement. "Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries."
The federation urged FIFA to adhere to "the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations" and called on the governing body to prevent off-field issues from overshadowing the tournament. FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Each participating federation at the World Cup receives eight per cent of the tickets for each of their matches to allocate to fans according to their own criteria. The FFIRI did not specify who made the decision to withhold the tickets.
