US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his administration is working to ensure that entry into the United States for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 is granted only to “the right people,” amid controversy surrounding visa restrictions linked to the tournament.
The statement comes after Somali football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan said he was denied entry into the US, calling the decision unfortunate. Artan, who was named Africa’s Referee of the Year 2025, was expected to become the first Somali official to take part in a FIFA World Cup, but was reportedly turned back by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over the weekend, according to Reuters.
US authorities said Artan was denied entry due to alleged links with suspected members of terrorist organisations. The administration maintained that the decision was based on national security “vetting concerns.”
Following the incident, Artan expressed disappointment but thanked FIFA for its support. Speaking in Mogadishu after returning to Somalia, he urged young people in his country not to lose hope and emphasized his commitment to Somalia, saying he was happy to be back home.
“Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad. I want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country,” he said.
FIFA had earlier announced a list of 52 referees and 88 assistant referees for the World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, a FIFA spokesperson confirmed that Artan will no longer participate in the tournament following the visa denial.
The Somali government reportedly attempted to intervene by engaging with both US authorities and FIFA, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
While US Customs and Border Protection did not name the individual directly, it confirmed that a Somali national arriving at Miami International Airport from Istanbul was denied entry due to security-related vetting concerns. An administration official later described the individual as a potential national security risk.
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