NEW DELHI, 9 June (H.S.):

Somalian referee Umar Artan, who had been selected among the match officials for the FIFA World Cup, has been denied entry into the United States, shattering his dream of becoming the first referee from his country to officiate at football’s biggest tournament.

Artan, who was named Africa’s Best Referee in 2025, was stopped by officials of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency upon his arrival at Miami International Airport.

In a statement issued on Monday, the agency said Artan had been referred for “additional inspection” as part of standard entry procedures.

The statement said, “Following the inspection, the individual travelling as a World Cup referee was deemed inadmissible due to verification-related concerns and was therefore denied entry into the United States.”

However, the agency did not provide any further details regarding the nature of those concerns.

Artan was the only referee from Somalia selected for the FIFA World Cup. Since June 2025, Somalia has been included on a list of countries subject to a full U.S. travel ban, although exemptions may be granted under certain special circumstances.

According to media reports, Artan possessed both a valid U.S. visa and a diplomatic passport. Nevertheless, American authorities reportedly determined that these documents were insufficient for admission.

The decision has drawn criticism from Somali officials. Cisse Adan Abshir, Senior Adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, condemned the move in an official statement.

He said, “Umar Artan is one of Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community. Denying him entry into the United States and preventing him from officiating scheduled World Cup matches is not only an injustice to him personally, but also undermines the principles of fairness, merit and sportsmanship that football seeks to uphold.”

Artan previously officiated at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and was recognised as the continent’s top referee in 2025.

The controversy has emerged just ahead of the start of the FIFA World Cup and is the latest in a series of disputes related to travel and visa issues surrounding the tournament.

Earlier, players of Iran’s national football team were granted visas to enter the United States. However, the Iranian Football Federation claimed that visas had been denied to 14 federation officials and support staff members. The federation described the decision as “retaliatory behaviour” following escalating tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar