Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has broken his silence after being denied entry to the United States for the World Cup, stating that he was turned away despite possessing the correct visa. Artan, widely recognized as Africa's top official, was removed from FIFA's list for the tournament after US authorities refused him permission to enter at Miami International Airport.
The 34-year-old was placed on a return flight to Turkey, where he had transited after traveling from Kenya, shattering his World Cup aspirations. In his first interview since the incident, Artan spoke to The New York Times over the phone from Istanbul, the city to which he was flown after being denied entry. 'I am very, very disappointed. 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,' he said.
Artan insisted that he had all necessary documentation. 'I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,' he added. He also claimed to have presented FIFA paperwork and photographs documenting his decade-long career as a professional referee to border officials. The officers also reviewed online information about his career, according to Artan, who was named Referee of the Year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football.
The referee stated that his immigration interview lasted 11 hours, after which he was taken to a separate holding cell. He was detained there for several more hours before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul, with officials providing no reason for denying him entry. 'I think that they have a problem with my country,' Artan speculated.
US Customs and Border Protection issued a statement saying: 'The traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of C.B.P.’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility. Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.'
