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Somali football referee Omar Artan returned home on Wednesday to a swarm of fans and reporters after being denied entry to the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Crowds gathered at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport waving Somali flags and brandishing posters while photographers scrambled to capture shots of the referee as he stepped onto the runway.
Artan is one of the world’s top-rated officials and had been in line to become the first referee from Somalia to take charge of a World Cup fixture before he was refused entry to the US at Miami International Airport last week.
Somalia is among a number of nations subject to a travel ban issued by US President Donald Trump, who has sought to crack down on immigration since his return to the White House.
Speaking to The New York Times, Artan said on Tuesday that he had been questioned by US border officials about his documentation and career for 11 hours before being taken to a holding cell and eventually flown to Istanbul.
“I am very, very disappointed,” he told the paper.
“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 continued, adding that he had the “right papers” and the “right visa”.
The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Artan had been refused entry to the country following a routine inspection.
“During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” the CBP 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.”
Andrew Giuliani, who is leading the White House task force for the FIFA World Cup, has said the refusal was for a “very good reason” and that he supported the decision, without offering any additional details on the matter.
Border control has taken centre stage ahead of the 2026 edition of the tournament, with a number of national teams experiencing visa issues and being subjected to additional security measures.
The decision to deny Artan entry has prompted particular criticism from across the football world and beyond.
England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright questioned whether the move was within the “spirit of football” and branded it a “World Cup of chaos”.
“I feel for the American fans who are desperate for this,” he said in a video posted to social media. “How embarrassing for them this must be”.
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also weighed in on the decision, sending his support to Artan.
“This won’t be the end of your story on the world stage,” he said.