What to know about the World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the US

A Somali soccer referee who was due to become the first from his country to officiate the World Cup but was denied entry to the United States was named Africa’s best referee and is considered a hero to many in his country.

Omar Artan, 34, was due to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate a World Cup after making FIFA’s final list for the tournament, bringing years of experience and hard work to soccer’s biggest stage. Artan’s anticipated feat brought hope to many in the country of about 19 million people, which is on the path of recovery after decades of instability and civil war.

The refusal to allow entry by Artan, who was scheduled to join other World Cup referees at their training base in Miami, was an unprecedented move in modern soccer history by a host country. The U.S. is co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada.

After being dropped from FIFA’s list of World Cup referees, Artan returned to a hero’s welcome in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Wednesday and urged young people to remain proud of their country.

Enlisted as a FIFA referee

Artan was enlisted as a FIFA referee in 2018. He later became the first Somali to officiate at the African Cup of Nations when he officiated the group fixture between Tunisia and Namibia in January 2024.

In May, he was the referee for the decisive leg of the African Champions League final in Morocco, the continent’s biggest club soccer game.

He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.

How Artan was chosen to officiate the World Cup

FIFA selects World Cup referees through a lengthy evaluation process overseen by the organization’s refereeing officials. The candidates are typically monitored for several years in international, continental and top domestic competitions.