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Somali soccer referee who was denied US entry says what happened was 'fate'

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who had been expected to officiate at matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup but was denied entry to the United States, is received as he arrives at the Aden Abdulle Osman International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, June 10, 2026. 

Photo credit: Reuters

By  Reuters

Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan said on Wednesday the decision to bar him entry to the United States for the World Cup was "fate" and urged his fellow Somalis not to lose heart over it.

Artan, Africa's referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali to officiate at soccer's global showpiece, but was turned back by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over the weekend.

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