2026 World Cup: Trump Administration Labels FIFA-badged Somalian Referee ‘Security Threat’

Somali football referee Omar Abdelkader Artan has been denied entry into the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the administration of US President Donald Trump labelled him a national security threat and alleged that he had associations with suspected terrorist organisations.
The decision ended Artan’s hopes of becoming the first Somali official to officiate at a men’s FIFA World Cup despite holding a valid US visa and being named ‘Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025’.
Artan has since returned to Somalia, where he received a hero’s welcome after being turned away by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at Miami International Airport.
The referee had travell...