World Cup ref from Somalia who was denied entry to the US was about to make history for his country - AP News

A World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States after arriving in Miami and subsequently cut from the tournament by FIFA was set to make history for his country. (AP Video/ Mohamed Sheikh Nor) 2 of 4 |  Referee Omar Artan, center, signals a penalty during the CAF Champions League final soccer match between AS FAR Rabat and Mamelodi Sundowns, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy, File) 3 of 4 |  Workers cover a Kansas City Chiefs sign to FIFA World Cup 2026 as work continues to transform Arrowhead Stadium to Kansas City Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament Monday, June 8, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) 4 of 4 |  Somali soldiers patrol a street after supporters of opposition political figures and state security forces clashed in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) A World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States after arriving in Miami and subsequently cut from the tournament by FIFA was set to make history for his country. (AP Video/ Mohamed Sheikh Nor) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 2 of 4 |  Referee Omar Artan, center, signals a penalty during the CAF Champions League final soccer match between AS FAR Rabat and Mamelodi Sundowns, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy, File) Referee Omar Artan, center, signals a penalty during the CAF Champions League final soccer match between AS FAR Rabat and Mamelodi Sundowns, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy, File) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 3 of 4 |  Workers cover a Kansas City Chiefs sign to FIFA World Cup 2026 as work continues to transform Arrowhead Stadium to Kansas City Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament Monday, June 8, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Workers cover a Kansas City Chiefs sign to FIFA World Cup 2026 as work continues to transform Arrowhead Stadium to Kansas City Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament Monday, June 8, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More 4 of 4 |  Somali soldiers patrol a street after supporters of opposition political figures and state security forces clashed in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) Somali soldiers patrol a street after supporters of opposition political figures and state security forces clashed in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More By  OMAR FARUK and GERALD IMRAY Updated : , ,   Leer en español  Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 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Omar Artan was going to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA’s final list for the tournament, which was announced two months ago. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025. He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over “vetting concerns,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement without giving details of those concerns. Artan was issued a visa to travel to the U.S. last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya that processed it. Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said Tuesday the referee was denied admittance for “very good reason” but also declined to go into details. Later Tuesday, a U.S. official said the referee was refused admission due to “association with suspected members of terror organizations.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter that is covered by visa privacy laws. After troubled World Cup lead-in, UN human rights chief urges ‘rethink’ of US immigration policy 2 MIN READ What to know about the World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the US 3 MIN READ 16 Pochettino says no Americans among top 100 players yet US can win World Cup 3 MIN READ The move to deny a FIFA-appointed match official permission to enter a World Cup host country is highly unusual. Artan was due to meet up with other World Cup referees at their training base in Miami. Somalia is one of nearly 40 countries subjected to new travel restrictions under the Trump administration’s strict crackdown on immigration. That raised concerns that fans, players and officials from those countries — most of which are African — might be caught up in the crackdown and denied entry for the World Cup despite having valid visas. Workers cover a Kansas City Chiefs sign to transform Arrowhead Stadium to Kansas City Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Workers cover a Kansas City Chiefs sign to transform Arrowhead Stadium to Kansas City Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Questioned for hours at airportArtan told The New York Times he was interviewed at Miami airport for 11 hours by border officials, who asked him why he’d traveled to the U.S. and questioned him about Somali politics and the al-Shabab militant group that is fighting an insurgency against the government there. He showed them FIFA documentation and photos from his refereeing career, he said. After the questioning, he was put in a holding cell and sent back on a plane to Istanbul, Turkey, from where he’d taken his connecting flight to the U.S. “I think that they have a problem with my country,” Artan told The New York Times, adding he had the correct documents and visa. He said he wasn’t told why he was refused entry, according to the Times. The Somalia Youth and Sports Ministry said on Tuesday that its embassy in the U.S. was trying to resolve the problem to allow Artan to referee at the World Cup, which opens on Thursday. The refusal to allow him into the U.S. might be related to the larger travel restrictions on Somalia “rather than any specific allegation against him,” Isse Aden Abshir, a senior adviser at the Somalia sports ministry, told The Associated Press. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Monday that Artan “underwent additional inspection” on arrival and called it “a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.” “Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry,” CBP said. CBP said all travelers seeking entry into the U.S. — including World Cup players, coaches and staff — were subject to CBP inspection and vetting. “Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the CBP statement said. “CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.” FIFA said it was not involved in the immigration processes and was informed by U.S. authorities that Artan’s “status will not be changed at present.” It said Artan wouldn’t be able to train and officiate at the World Cup. “In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” FIFA said. FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks as President Donald Trump listens on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks as President Donald Trump listens on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Soldiers patrol a street in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) Soldiers patrol a street in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Still, FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino built close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump’s government as the U.S. prepared to co-host with Mexico and Canada and had publicly stressed how that would help the World Cup run smoothly. Infantino did not immediately comment on the issue, while FIFA released a statement on behalf of Artan. “Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said in the statement. Artan was praised as one of Africa’s best referees and was the ref for the decisive leg of the African Champions League final last month — Africa’s biggest club soccer game. He spoke in a recent interview with the Al Jazeera TV network about how he was honored to be selected as the first Somali to referee at the World Cup and how he faced challenges in his conflict-torn country in East Africa, including sometimes having to change his route to training because of explosions in the streets of the capital, Mogadishu. “You cannot give up as a referee,” Artan said in the interview. This (going to the World Cup) was my big, big target and I’m really excited.” Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva and AP writers Matthew Lee and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed. AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup