Omar Abdulkadir Artan breaks his silence after being barred from entering the United States ahead of World Cup 2026

World Cup 2026 Today at 05:02

Nafongo TRAORE

News Editor

Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not be present at the World Cup. All hope faded after FIFA announced it would not intervene in the host nation's immigration policies. The Somali referee broke his silence after several hours.

I am in good spirits and focused on the upcoming challenges in my refereeing career. I thank FIFA and CAF for their support and promise to maintain my refereeing standards while looking to the future with optimism.

To recap, Omar Abdulkadir Artan was barred from entering US territory on June 8, 2026, despite being appointed to officiate in the final stage of the World Cup kicking off on June 11. He was sent back to Turkey, and as Africa's top referee in 2025, he had hoped for a positive resolution through CAF and FIFA intervention. But just a few hours later, the global governing body released a statement clarifying that it does not intervene in host countries' immigration procedures.

The man who was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate a match at the World Cup finals will now return home. The dream is postponed.

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