Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan insists he had “the right papers and the right visa” before being denied entry to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Artan, set to be the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup finals, was detained for 11 hours at Miami International Airport and later repatriated to Turkey. He said he was held in a cell before being put on a flight back.
ADVERTISEMENT
FIFA confirmed he will miss the tournament, noting it has no role in immigration decisions. Somali officials said he carried a diplomatic passport issued to ease travel after earlier visa issues.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan told the BBC, adding he believes US authorities “have a problem with my country.”
