Africa’s top FIFA referee Omar Altan, who will officiate at the 2026 World Cup, has been refused entry to the United States on suspicion of terrorism.
Omar Altan returns to Somalia (Image: Getty Images)
The Trump administration announced that Omar Artan has been denied entry to the United States to work as a referee at the World Cup due to suspected ties to terrorism.
Artan, who is widely considered to be Africa’s best referee, was removed from FIFA’s list of referees for the tournament after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) refused him at Miami International Airport. The 34-year-old Somalian man was on a flight back to Turkey, where he was in transit from Kenya.
Artan told the New York Times that he was “very disappointed” in the decision. “I had the right documents and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan added.
The Trump administration has since moved to justify its decision to ban Artan from entering the country. “This individual was seeking entry to the United States,” a statement from government officials said, as reported by the Mirror US newspaper.
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“Further inspection by CBP revealed derogatory information, including an association with a suspected terrorist organization, and the traveler was ineligible to enter the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).”
“The traveler was denied entry and given an entry document containing the provisions of the law that will be used to complete the expedited removal process under INA 8235. President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country and will completely stop it.”
The official statement comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed scrutiny concerns regarding soccer officiating. “The traveler underwent additional testing, which is a routine part of CBP’s testing process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” they said.
Omar Altan is welcomed back by supporters in Mogadishu (Image: AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)
“As a result of the inspection, the traveler, who is a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be ineligible for entry due to screening concerns and was refused entry.”
The Somali government attempted to intervene and negotiate with the U.S. government, but failed. “His international achievements are a source of honor and pride for the Somali people,” the sports ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Somali Football Federation (SFF) claimed it had not received an official explanation as to why Artan was rejected and said it would contact FIFA to escalate the complaint.
Altan received a hero’s welcome when he arrived in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Wednesday. Hundreds of supporters met the referee at the airport, and he said, “If God is willing, I will definitely attend the next match. I want the Somali people to feel safe and confident in this.”
Donald Trump’s administration is taking a hard line on border controls (Image: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
On Monday, FIFA released a statement confirming that Artan will not play in the summer tournament. “FIFA has confirmed that match official Omar Abdulkadir Altan will be unable to practice and officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup because he has been refused entry to the United States,” the statement read.
“FIFA is not involved in the host country’s entry procedures, including visa checks, and authorities have informed us that Mr. Artan’s status will not change at this time. As with previous FIFA events, the host country’s government will ultimately decide who receives a visa and who is allowed entry into their country.”
For Artan, officiating at the World Cup represented the culmination of his career ambitions. That hope has now been brutally crushed. “I’m very, very disappointed. I’m just a referee trying to fulfill my dream, the biggest dream of my life, to play in the World Cup,” he told the NYT.
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