U.S. bars entry of FIFA World Cup referee from Somalia

Federal immigration authorities barred a Somali soccer referee who was slated to officiate the FIFA World Cup from entering the U.S. over the weekend, Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Monday, citing “vetting concerns.”

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed one of its officials, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, “will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.”

“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr. Artan’s status will not be changed at present,” the spokesperson said. “In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

CBP, which oversees customs agents at international airports, said the referee was “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.” He had arrived at Miami International Airport on Saturday on a flight from Istanbul, and underwent additional inspection, CBP said.

It is unclear why Artan was denied entry, but Somalia is one of 39 countries listed on President Trump’s “travel ban” executive order signed last year, which bars or restricts the entry of foreign nationals on national security grounds. Somalia is among the countries facing a near-total restriction on entry into the U.S., and while that order has exemptions for World Cup athletes and staff, immigration officials retain broad discretion to decide whether to grant or deny someone entry.

CBP said in its statement that it evaluates people seeking to enter the country “on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection.”

CBS News has attempted to reach out to Artan for comment.

Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior advisor to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, condemned the decision not to admit Artan. He told Agence France Presse that Artan is “among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” and argued the decision “undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play.”

Artan has officiated international soccer matches for years, including at the Africa Cup of Nations, and he was named male referee of the year by the Confederation for African Football last year. 

The U.S. is hosting the 2026 World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada. The tournament is set to start Thursday with a match in Mexico City, and will span more than a dozen other venues.

The tournament — which will include teams from 48 countries and scores of foreign tourists — follows a more-than-yearlong effort by the Trump administration to tighten entry into the United States, sparking worries that the games could be impacted. 

Amid the war in the Middle East, some Iranian soccer officials still do not have U.S. visas, according to Iranian state television. The team is also facing strict restrictions on when it can enter the U.S. before a match and how long it can stay after the conclusion before returning to its training grounds in Mexico. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will play a role in security at the World Cup. White House border czar Tom Homan told CBS News last week that ICE’s “primary focus” will be national security, not immigration enforcement.

“In the process of that, if we find a national security issue and it involves an illegal alien, of course we’re going to take action on that,” Homan said. “But the primary focus is: Keep those events safe, keep this nation safe and keep the spectators and the athletes safe.”