Somali Referee Barred From U.S. as FIFA Says It Cannot Reverse Entry Decision

Overview

• Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a FIFA-selected Somali referee, was denied entry to the United States after lengthy immigration processing and returned to Turkey, removing him from the World Cup officiating roster.
• FIFA told reporters it has no authority to change host-country immigration decisions and said U.S. authorities informed the body the visa outcome would not be reversed.
• Players, delegation members and journalists have reported intensive airport procedures including on-runway searches, multi-hour interrogations and revoked permissions that have complicated team arrivals and coverage.
• Somalia has sought dialogue with U.S. officials over Artan’s treatment while the Iranian federation says U.S. authorities cancelled its ticket allocation for supporters, leaving Tehran to protest the restrictions.
• The episode has fueled media and editorial criticism of FIFA’s closeness to the U.S. administration and raised questions about how host immigration policies could affect the tournament’s promise of universal access.