US denies Somali World Cup referee entry, FIFA to pay fee

A Somali referee selected to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was denied entry to the United States earlier this month after authorities cited security concerns, a senior U.S. official has confirmed. The decision has sparked international controversy and highlighted the intersection of immigration policy and the global sporting event co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a 34-year-old award-winning official, arrived at Miami International Airport on June 6 expecting to join other World Cup referees. Instead, he was detained for approximately 11 hours, questioned, and ultimately declared inadmissible before being deported. U.S. Customs and Border Protection initially cited unspecified "vetting concerns" as the reason.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, later elaborated publicly for the first time, stating that Artan was "talking to some very bad people" immediately before his travel to the United States. Giuliani told CBS News that some of the intelligence information justifying the decision remains classified and could not be disclosed. A U.S. administration official separately alleged that...