Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan was dealt a major setback after he was denied entry into the U.S. upon his arrival at the Miami International Airport from Istanbul on June 6, 2026, to attend a mandatory FIFA match officials’ seminar ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The U.S Customs and Border Protection attributed his denial to unspecified vetting concerns and immediately placed Omar on a return flight back to Istanbul.
In April 2026, Omar was selected as part of the officiating team for the tournament, a moment that would have marked a new milestone in his career.
After speaking with the US authorities, the world football governing body, FIFA, confirmed that Artan will miss the tournament.
“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,” read part of the statement.
FIFA went on to state that it is not involved in the host nation’s immigration processes amid widespread outrage over the decision to deny Artan entry.
“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,” FIFA noted.
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Omar Abdulkadir Artan Profile
Omar was born in 1992 in Mogadishu, Somalia.
He started his refereeing career in Somalia’s local leagues under the auspices of the Somali Football Federation before becoming an international referee.
Omar has officiated high-profile matches such as:
- The bronze medal match between Colombia and France at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
- The CAF Confederation Cup final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Pyramids FC (2025).
- The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2024 in 2 group matches, Tunisia vs Namibia and Algeria vs Mauritania.
- FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
In the 2025 U-20 FIFA World Cup, he was 1 of only 3 center referees that were chosen from Africa and the only one from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Omar’s biggest refereeing moment was going to be the FIFA World Cup 2026, as he had been selected to take part before his latest U.S setback.
When Omar Artna Was Named the Best Referee in Africa
In a ceremony held on Wednesday evening at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, Omar was announced as the best Male Referee, while Shamirah Nabadda of Uganda emerged victorious in the female category, showing dominance by the East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region.
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Ali Ahmed, the CECAFA head of refereeing, celebrated the achievement as a landmark moment for all referees in the region.
“This is a milestone for the CECAFA refereeing era. We congratulate our top stars Abdulkadir and Nabadda,” read part of Ahmed’s statement.
Speaking after receiving his award, Omar expressed his excitement for being recognized as Africa’s top referee.
“I am proud to receive this award. It is a privilege for me,” Omar said.
Omar made history by becoming the first Somali referee to officiate a major continental final when he took charge of the CAF Champions League Final in Cairo 2025, where Egypt’s Pyramids FC won against South Africa’s side Mamelodi Sundowns to lift the title.
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