Somali referee excluded from the World Cup: Optimistic... I will return again

Written by: Ayman Ragab

The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) has just released a statement quoting referee Artan, who affirmed his optimism despite the circumstances he is going through, and his complete focus on continuing his refereeing career.

Artan said: “Despite the current circumstances, I am optimistic and focused on the upcoming challenges in my refereeing career.

He continued: “I thank FIFA and the Confederation of African Football for their continued support, and I pledge to maintain the highest levels of performance and refereeing in the coming period.”.

He stated: “I also thank the football family for their messages of support and encouragement, and I wish my colleagues all the best and success during the World Cup competitions, and I look forward to returning and joining them again in the upcoming tournaments.”.

Banned from entering America

The referee had been barred from entering America for security reasons and concerns, which led to his exclusion from refereeing in the 2026 World Cup.

The Somali referee was on a list of sports figures invited to participate in some football-related events or training programs, but he faced strict security measures upon his arrival at one of the American airports, which ended with a decision to prevent him from entering and to return him on a flight to Türkiye.

The US authorities have not yet issued an official statement explaining the reasons for this decision, while some media analyses indicate that the matter may be related to visa procedures or internal security considerations followed by Washington in dealing with some delegations coming from certain countries, while others believe that the issue may be purely administrative and does not have political dimensions.

For its part, the Somali Football Association has not issued a detailed comment on the incident, but sources close to the matter indicated a state of discontent within the Somali sports community, especially since referee Omar Abdulqadir is one of the young names that have begun to emerge in the field of continental refereeing in recent years.

This incident comes amid increasing challenges faced by some athletes and referees from African countries during their international participation, whether in terms of visas, travel procedures, or regulatory restrictions imposed in some countries hosting major sporting events.

political obstacles

Observers believe that such incidents may reopen the debate on the need to facilitate the movement of sports personnel and ensure that their participation in international events is not affected by administrative or political obstacles, especially with the increasing global nature of football and its reliance on the movement of talent from different continents.

While awaiting official clarifications from the relevant authorities, the issue remains under extensive media scrutiny, amid questions about the background of the decision and its repercussions on the course of Somali governance and its future in the international arbitration arena.