Somalian referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been ruled out of the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.
Artan, the 2025 CAF Referee of the Year and the first Somali official selected for a World Cup, was stopped at Miami International Airport and later sent to Turkey.
FIFA confirmed the decision means he will not officiate at the tournament, adding that immigration and visa decisions are the responsibility of host-country authorities.
The Somali Football Federation has sought clarification over the incident, while US officials have defended the decision.
