Revealing the Reasons for Referee Omar Artan's Ban from Entering the United States

An American official revealed that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was banned from entering the United States prior to the 2026 World Cup due to what was described as 'alleged connections with individuals suspected of belonging to organizations classified as terrorist.'

According to reports, the referee was stopped at Miami Airport, where he underwent an investigation lasting about 11 hours, focusing on questions related to politics in Somalia and some armed movements active against the government in the country, without any formal charges being filed against him.

Press sources indicate that the referee is not accused of direct affiliation with any of these groups, but he was scrutinized due to suspicions related to potential relationships or knowledge of some individuals associated with them, which led to the decision to ban him.

During the investigation, Artan denied any knowledge of leaders or figures linked to these organizations.

For its part, the White House explained that the decision came after the discovery of what it described as 'troubling information,' confirming that the referee is ineligible to enter the country under immigration laws, as part of a policy aimed at protecting national security.

This comes at a time when the United States is preparing to host part of the 2026 World Cup competitions, alongside Canada and Mexico.