Fresh twist as US links banned World Cup ref Omar Artan to suspected terrorists

The controversy over Somali referee Omar Artan’s exclusion from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has taken a dramatic turn after the administration of United States President Donald Trump claimed he was denied entry over alleged links to suspected members of terrorist organisations.

Artan, the reigning CAF Men’s Referee of the Year, was barred from entering the United States at Miami International Airport on Saturday, two days before PM News reported that no official reason had been given for the decision.

The 34-year-old official, who was selected by FIFA among 52 match officials for the tournament, had been expected to make history as the first Somali referee to officiate at the World Cup.

But that dream now appears shattered after US authorities refused him admission and sent him back to Istanbul, Turkey, after reportedly holding him at the airport for about 11 hours.

At the time of PM News’ earlier report, neither US immigration authorities nor FIFA had publicly explained why Artan was stopped.

However, the Trump administration has now claimed that further security checks by US Customs and Border Protection uncovered “derogatory information” against the referee.

According to a statement quoted by Fox News, the information allegedly included “association with suspected members of terror organisations,” making Artan ineligible to enter the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“This individual was seeking admission to the United States,” the statement said.

“Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations, was discovered making the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country — full stop.”

The allegation is a major escalation in a case that had already triggered concern across African football circles because of Artan’s profile and the timing of the decision.

Artan was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025 and was widely seen as one of Africa’s leading match officials going into the World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

His selection by FIFA had also been celebrated as a major breakthrough for Somali football and a rare moment of global recognition for the country’s refereeing system.

But Artan has rejected any wrongdoing, insisting that he had the required documents and valid visa to enter the United States.

“I am very, very disappointed,” he told the New York Times.

“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa.

“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.

“I think that they have a problem with my country.”

The case has drawn wider attention because Somalia is among countries affected by travel restrictions introduced under Trump’s administration.

Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has imposed strict immigration and border measures, with citizens from several countries either fully banned or placed under partial travel restrictions.

FIFA has now confirmed that Artan will not train or officiate at the tournament, but said it had no power over the immigration process of the host country.

“FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States,” the world football body said.

“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.”

The development leaves FIFA with one fewer African official at the tournament and ends, at least for now, Artan’s historic bid to become Somalia’s first World Cup referee.

A FIFA-accredited referee since 2018, Artan has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations and other major continental competitions. He also works in Somalia’s domestic league.

His exclusion now raises fresh questions over how far host-country immigration decisions can affect FIFA appointments, especially when security claims are made against officials already cleared by football’s governing body for the world’s biggest tournament.