00:00Somalian referee Omar Artan will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry into the United States,
00:09ending his hopes of becoming the first Somali official to referee at a men's World Cup finals.
00:16Artan, who's 34 years old, had been selected as one of the tournament's match officials
00:22following a remarkable rise in international football in his career.
00:27The respected referee was named as Africa's Referee of the Year in 2025
00:33and was widely regarded as one of the continent's top officials.
00:39However, his World Cup dream came to an abrupt end when US authorities refused him entry at Miami International Airport.
00:49Artan was subsequently forced to return to Istanbul,
00:53despite believing he held a valid visa that would allow him to work during the tournament.
01:01In a statement, FIFA confirmed that Artan would now be unable to participate in the competition.
01:08The governing body said it does not play a role in host country immigration decisions
01:14and had been informed that his status would not be changed.
01:20The decision comes amid ongoing restrictions affecting travellers from several countries,
01:27including Somalia.
01:28FIFA noted that, as with previous tournaments,
01:32the host nation has the final authority on visa approvals and admissions.
01:38It's one of many scandals to have taken place already in the United States of America.
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