The United States has denied entry to a top Somali referee who was set to participate in the FIFA World Cup, raising concerns about Washington’s travel restrictions and their impact on the tournament.
According to BBC, Somali referee Omar Artan says he was subjected to an 11-hour immigration interview before being denied entry to the United States for the World Cup despite holding the "right papers" and "right visa".
Artan, who was set to be the first Somali to referee at a World Cup finals, was dropped from the list of officials on Monday after he was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport.
No reason for Artan's repatriation has been issued by US immigration authorities, but Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump's administration.
After speaking to the US authorities, world governing body Fifa said Artan will miss the tournament.
Artan told the New York Times, "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."
A Fifa statement on the decision said, "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. Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan's status will not be changed at present."
Following the 11-hour immigration interview, Artan said he was then taken to a separate holding cell where he was detained for several hours before being put on a flight back to Istanbul, Turkey.
