Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States on Saturday, will not officiate at the World Cup, which begins on Thursday, FIFA announced on Monday.
FIFA confirms that referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan he will not be able to coach or referee at the 2026 World Cup, after being denied entry to the United Statessaid FIFA’s announcement.
FIFA does not interfere in the host country’s immigration procedures, including the issuing of visas, and the authorities have informed it that Mr Artan’s status will not change at this timethe statement added.
In line with previous FIFA competitions, the host country’s government has the final say about who will get a visa and who will be admitted to its territoryFIFA reiterated.
The reasons for the denial of entry to Omar Artan, who refereed at the African Cup of Nations (CAN), are not known.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) explained that “on June 6, a Somali citizen arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul International Airport (…) During the formalities, the passenger was subjected to an additional check, a routine step”, reports the France Presse agency.
After checking, the passenger, the referee of the World Cup, was declared inadmissible due to issues related to his background check and was denied entryadded the agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
However, “Omar Abdulkadir Artan had a valid visa,” Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, said on Monday.
Somalia is one of many countries whose citizens are subject to the Trump administration’s travel ban to the United States.
(Hina | Photo: X)
