Despite FIFA’s mandate, America prevents an African referee from entering

Press reports said on Monday that US authorities prevented Somali referee Omar Artan from entering the United States, despite his appointment by FIFA to officiate a number of World Cup matches.

Omar Abdelkader Artan was returned to Istanbul on Monday after being arrested at Miami International Airport and denied entry, according to what the Daily Somalia website reported from sources within the Somali Football Federation.

Artan headed to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, due to the absence of an American embassy in Somalia, where he obtained a diplomatic passport.

He then headed to Türkiye, from where he traveled to the United States, but the American authorities immediately deported him and deemed his diplomatic passport “not sufficient.”

Artan was crowned the best African referee for the year 2025, awarded by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and officiated last year’s CAF Champions League final between Pyramids and Mamelodi Sundowns.

Artan became the first Somali referee in history to participate in the World Cup, but Washington forced him to return to his country.

Somalia is among the countries subject to US travel restrictions, as most Somali citizens are prohibited from obtaining some categories of visas, with limited exceptions for diplomats or for cases considered to be of national interest to the United States.