World football governing body FIFA has confirmed that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.
In a statement released on Monday, FIFA said Artan would be unable to train or officiate at the tournament because his visa application had not been approved by US authorities.
“FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States,” the organisation said.
FIFA stressed that it has no role in immigration procedures or visa decisions made by host nations and noted that it had been informed that Artan’s immigration status would not be altered at this time.
The governing body explained that visa adjudications and entry approvals fall under the jurisdiction of the host country’s authorities.
“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present,” the statement added.
The organisation further noted that, it has been the case at previous FIFA tournaments, the host government retains the final authority on who is granted a visa and allowed entry into the country.
Artan’s absence is expected to be a significant setback, as he had been selected among the match officials preparing to officiate at the expanded 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.