Somali referee Omar Artan, a historic first for his nation set to officiate the 2026 World Cup finals, has been barred from entering the United States.
Artan, the 2025 CAF Men's Referee of the Year, was denied entry at Miami International Airport and is now in Turkey. US immigration officials have not cited a reason for his repatriation.
Somalia is on the travel ban list enacted by the Trump administration. Artan is one of 52 referees selected by FIFA for the tournament, which runs from June 12 to July 19 in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
A veteran of the African Cup of Nations, Artan has been a FIFA referee since 2018.