Trump official: Barred Somali referee had links to 'suspected' terror group members
A Somali referee who was due to officiate at the 2026 World Cup was denied entry to the US because of alleged links to “suspected members of terror organisations”, a Trump administration official has said.
Omar Artan, who was due to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup match, was removed from the list of officials on Monday after he was barred from entering the US at Miami International Airport after arriving from Istanbul on Saturday.
A Trump administration official told ITV News' US partner CNN on Wednesday that Artan was denied entry following vetting checks that uncovered “derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations”.
The official did not provide any further details about the alleged links or the nature of the associations.
Artan returned to a hero's welcome at the airport in Mogadishu on Wednesday, where he thanked the Somali government, the Somali people and Fifa for their support.
Artan, who was named the Confederation of African Football's referee of the year in 2025, told hundreds of supporters at the airport who waved the Somali flag: “I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one."
“I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”
Artan told The New York Times on Tuesday that he was "very disappointed" with the decision and assured that he had the "right papers" to enter the country.
“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,” he said.
Artan added: “I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa."
When questioned by US border officials, Artan said they reviewed online information about his career.
After an 11-hour interview, he said he was taken to a holding cell, where he was detained for several more hours before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
Artan added that officials asked him why he had travelled to the US and questioned him about politics in Somalia.
According to Artan, many of the questions focused on Al Shabab, the militant group that controls parts of Somalia and has waged a long-running insurgency against the country's government.
US officials did not give him a reason for refusing him entry to the country, Artan said.
Fifa, in a statement on Monday, said it was not involved in the immigration processes and was informed by authorities that Artan's status "will not be changed at present".
"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country," the football association said.
Trump suspended the entry of Somali nationals in June 2025, describing the country as a "terrorist safe haven".
It followed a January executive order, which called on the administration to report which countries had "deficient" vetting and screening information amid a crackdown on immigration.
The entry of people from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen is also suspended.
In its statement on Tuesday, the US Customs and Border Protection said all travellers entering the US are subject to a vetting process.
"During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” it said.
"Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.
"Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the statement continued.
"CBP officers have the authority to question travellers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with US law."
Former England striker Ian Wright criticised the US' decision, ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott reports
British football commentator and former Arsenal player Ian Wright criticised the decision to deny Artan entry in a video posted on his TikTok on Tuesday, calling the tournament a "World Cup of chaos".
"Every few hours, there's another story about fans denied, players denied, officials denied, journalists denied, now refs? I'm laughing, but it's not funny, something has to be said," Wright said.
"It's the most expensive ticket ever. Expensive accommodation, transport through the roof. It has to be said. Is this how the hosts behave really, for the greatest game, the greatest tournament in the world?"
"How are we not hearing more? Is this the spirit of football, really? You know who I feel for, the American fans who are desperate for this, how embarrassed they must be.
"This is a World Cup of chaos. Whoever wins this World Cup is going to have to go through some serious, serious chaos to get this done."
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