The Football world has been thrown into shock with the 2026 World Cup set to kick off on 11 June, as concerns mount over the situation of top African referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan.

Named by FIFA to officiate during the World Cup, the Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to U.S. territory

Due to his difficulties in obtaining a visa, he had benefited from the support of the Somali embassy in Nairobi, which notably enabled him to obtain a diplomatic passport, but that was insufficient for the American authorities, who immediately sent him back.

Recall that, Artan officiated the return leg of last year’s CAF Champions League final between Pyramids FC and Mamelodi Sundowns while being elected best African referee for 2025 by CAF at its Awards held in Rabat, Morocco.

Somalia is among countries facing U.S. travel restrictions, with most Somali nationals barred from obtaining certain visa categories, with limited exemptions for diplomats and cases considered in the U.S. national interest.

Neither FIFA nor the Somali Football Federation has commented on the incident.