Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan returned to Mogadishu after being denied entry to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Artan, 34, Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025, was set to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup but was stopped at Miami Airport despite holding valid papers. He endured an 11-hour interview before being repatriated.
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Crowds greeted him at Aden Adde International Airport with flags, banners, and chants. Artan thanked supporters and vowed to referee at the 2030 World Cup, urging Somali youth not to lose hope: “That flag is ours and so is the passport – let’s defend it.”
