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Somali World Cup Referee Denied Entry to U.S. Returns Home to Hero’s Welcome

10 June 2026 at 12:30
Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who is widely admired in his home country, would have been the first Somali to referee a World Cup game.

© Feisal Omar/Reuters

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a soccer referee who had planned to officiate at the World Cup, arriving back in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Wednesday.

On the Eve of the World Cup, U.S. Immigration Policy Turns Some Away

10 June 2026 at 10:04
Some fans and participants hoping to enter the United States for the World Cup have complained that restrictive immigration rules have presented a roadblock.

© Ahmad Al-Rubaye/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Iraqi soccer player Aymen Hussein, pictured in a mural near Baghdad wearing his No. 18 jersey, was temporarily detained by U.S. immigration officials before being allowed to enter the country for the World Cup.

Somali Referee Says His World Cup Dream Is Dashed After U.S. Denies Entry

9 June 2026 at 23:14
“I had the right papers and everything,” Omar Abdulkadir Artan said in his first interview since he was turned back. He would have been the first Somali to referee a game in the tournament.

© Khaled Desouki/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, right, during an Africa Cup of Nations match in Morocco last year.

U.S. Denies Entry to World Cup Referee From Somalia

Omar Artan was one of 52 referees selected for the FIFA World Cup. But on Saturday he was denied entry because of “vetting concerns,” U.S. officials said.

© Khaled Desouki/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Omar Artan will not officiate games at the World Cup, FIFA said.
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