Omar Artan, who was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup finals, has lost his place at the tournament after United States (US) immigration authorities turned him away at Miami International Airport.

Artan, who won the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year award, was travelling on a diplomatic passport issued specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties, according to a Somali embassy official in Nairobi who spoke to the BBC.

No reason for the refusal has been given by US authorities.

FIFA confirmed his removal in a statement. “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 governing 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. In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” FIFA added.

Somalia sits on a travel ban list introduced by US President Donald Trump’s administration. A senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed the denial of entry to a foreign media outlet and saiid that Artan had been carrying valid documents. He is currently in Turkey.

The Somali Football Federation has contacted FIFA seeking urgent clarification.

In a statement to a foreign media outlet, Artan expressed a positive outlook despite the circumstances. “I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,” he said.

“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions,” he added.

Artan became a FIFA referee in 2018 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations. He was among 52 referees FIFA selected for the tournament, which runs across Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 to July 19.