Omar Artan, who was set to be the first Somali to referee at the World Cup finals, has been dropped from the list of officials after he was denied entry to the United States.

Artan, who was voted best referee in Africa in 2025, was turned back at the Miami International Airport over the weekend. Somalia are one of the countries on the US travel ban list.

World football governing body FIFA has released a statement that addresses the matter.

“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present,” reads FIFA’s statement.

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

According to The Athletic, the 34-year-old arrived at Miami International Airport on a flight from Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday but was barred from entering the country following a “routine” inspection, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed.

Artan was one of 52 referees picked by FIFA for the tournament. He is highly regarded in Africa. He has officiated back-to-back CAF Champions League finals.