US denies entry to Africa's top referee for World Cup

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry into the US after being stopped at Miami International Airport.

Referee Artan, who was appointed by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 World Cup, failed to pass checks at the US border and now faces the risk of being unable to perform his duties at the tournament.

Omar Artan had officiated the final second-leg match between AS FAR and Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League and was also named the best African referee of 2025 by CAF.

There has been no official statement yet from FIFA or the Somali Football Federation regarding the incident.