Somali referee Omar Artan has vowed to officiate at the next FIFA World Cup in 2030 after being denied entry into the United States and subsequently removed from the list of match officials for the 2026 tournament.
Artan returned to a hero’s welcome in Mogadishu on Wednesday, where more than 100 supporters gathered at the city’s main airport to receive him. Waving Somali flags and chanting his name, the crowd greeted the acclaimed referee as he arrived on a Turkish Airlines flight.
Despite the setback, Artan struck a defiant tone, insisting that the incident would not derail his ambitions.
“I will be at the next World Cup and will continue to make Somalia proud,” he told journalists upon arrival.
“Despite what has happened to me, I am not discouraged.”
The referee’s exclusion from the tournament has generated widespread anger and disappointment in Somalia, where his selection for the FIFA World Cup had been celebrated as a landmark achievement for the country.
Mohamed Said, a government official in Mogadishu, criticised the decision to deny Artan entry to the United States.
“They wronged him in a way that hurts everybody who is concerned about humanity,” Said said at the airport.
Artan, who was named the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025, had been selected among the 52 match officials appointed for the FIFA World Cup finals, which begin on Thursday across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
However, his World Cup dream came to an abrupt end after he was refused entry upon arrival at Miami International Airport on Saturday.
A United States State Department official told AFP on Tuesday that Artan had been deemed ineligible for admission because he was “associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations”.
Following the decision, FIFA confirmed that the Somali official would no longer be part of the refereeing team for the tournament.
The development has cast a shadow over what had been a source of immense national pride. Artan’s appointment to football’s biggest stage was widely viewed as a testament to both his personal achievements and the growing presence of Somali officials in international sport.
In April, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud hailed Artan’s selection as a historic moment for the nation, describing him as “a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis”.
While his participation in the 2026 World Cup has been cut short, Artan’s determination remains undimmed. Backed by widespread support at home, the highly regarded referee is now setting his sights firmly on the next global showpiece in 2030.
