Somalia referee Omar Artan returned home to a hero’s welcome on Wednesday after being denied entry into the United States.
This major setback ended his chance of becoming the first Somali referee to officiate at football’s biggest tournament this season.
Speaking during the reception in Mogadishu, officials praised Artan for his contribution to football and said his selection represented an important step for Somali sport and its visibility on the global stage.
“What happened has happened, and it was unfortunate. I am grateful for the support FIFA gave me. Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad. I want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country. I am now in my country, and there is no other place I want to be,” Artan said.
#Breaking: Omar Cartan expresses pride in his #Somali identity.
"I'm not upset about being turned back from the United States. I will keep striving and I will not be #discouraged." pic.twitter.com/lkXP6sutvt— SMS Somali TV (@SMSSomaliTV1) June 10, 2026
He also thanked the government and the Somali public for standing by him during what he described as a difficult period.
“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he told supporters at the airport, where hundreds waved the Somali flag. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”
According to Artan, he arrived in Miami on Saturday, five days before the tournament’s opening match, carrying what he believed were all the required travel documents, but was stopped on arrival by border officials and subjected to questioning.
'Africa's best referee' gets hero's welcome at Somali airport — after US denied him entry to 2026 World Cup
— RT (@RT_com) June 10, 2026
A Somali tycoon promised him $100,000 to make up for lost earnings, while the US Somali diaspora says it plans to raise $1 million in his support pic.twitter.com/d2KnSVa7yI
Artan arrived at Aden Adde International Airport, where he was received by senior government officials led by Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali, who hailed him as a national symbol of achievement despite the disappointment that cut short his historic World Cup assignment.
The 2025 African Referee of the Year had been selected by FIFA as one of 52 match officials for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a milestone widely celebrated across Somalia and among football stakeholders who viewed his appointment as a breakthrough for the country’s growing presence in international sport.
The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, was expected to mark a historic first for Somalia, with Artan becoming the country’s first referee to be included in a World Cup officiating panel.