World Cup 2026: Omar Artan turned away, USA explains!

World Cup 2026 Today at 09:00

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI

News Editor

On the eve of the 2026 World Cup kickoff, a fresh controversy has erupted over entry conditions to the United States. American authorities have justified a decision that continues to spark reactions across the football world.

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, U.S. authorities have moved to clarify their entry policy for those accredited for the tournament. Several recent decisions have raised questions, especially after Somali referee Omar Artan was turned away despite holding a valid visa.

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Speaking in Washington at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council, Andrew Giuliani, a member of the White House team overseeing the World Cup, defended the United States' position.

"So far, 35 teams have been able to enter the United States. No player or coach has been denied entry. There have been officials who were refused entry, and for good reason," he stated.

However, the American official declined to reveal the specific reasons behind the rejection of the Somali referee. He did, however, stress the main objective of the authorities:

"The goal is to prevent bad actors from entering the country under the cover of the World Cup. There was a referee who was not admitted. I can't go into details, but what I can say is that it was for a very good reason."

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