Somali soccer referee who was denied US entry comes home to hero’s welcome

MOGADISHU, June 10 (Reuters) – Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan returned home to a hero’s welcome on Wednesday ​after being barred from entering the U.S. for the World Cup, describing the decision as a matter of “fate” and urging his fellow Somalis not to ‌lose heart over it.

Artan, Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali to officiate at soccer’s global showpiece, but was turned back by U.S. Customs and Border Protection over the weekend.

The Trump administration said on Tuesday the U.S. had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to “suspected members of terror organizations”.

“What happened has happened and it was fate. ​I am grateful for the support FIFA gave me,” Artan told reporters after arriving in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

“Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad. I ​want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country,” he said. “I am now in my country, and there is ⁠no other place I want to be.”

Later on Wednesday, thousands of cheering supporters, some carrying flags and photos of Artan, poured into a stadium in ​Mogadishu, where he was guest of honour at a game.

Many said they were bitterly disappointed by the U.S. decision but said Artan’s stature was undiminished in their eyes.

“As young people, ​we really felt his pain. We all also have dreams. He made such a huge effort to reach the stage he reached and was eventually let down,” student Abdulqadir Ali Abokor, 26, told Reuters.

“For us and for many around the world he is… a champion and this decision doesn’t make a difference,” he added.

“We are here to show him that we stand with him,” fitness instructor and former referee ​Abdi Abdulle Baasaale, 54, said.

Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who met Artan on Wednesday, said he had “won the hearts of millions and secured his place in history”.

“Omar Artan ​has done more than unite the footballing world, he has ignited hope in every child who dares to dream beyond the horizon. Dreams may be deferred, but they are never defeated,” Barre said ‌in a post ⁠on X.

Artan’s ordeal has drawn global attention, with the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressing solidarity with him.

“You reached the summit of your profession and inspired a generation back home just by getting there, and being kept off the pitch you earned doesn’t change that. This won’t be the end of your story on the world stage,” Tedros, the first African to head the WHO, said in a post on X late on Tuesday.

The Trump administration’s strict immigration policies have been a point of concern, opens new tab before the World Cup, ​with Washington imposing a sweeping travel ban ​last year on citizens of 12 countries, ⁠including Somalia.

Somali government officials and an official from the Somali Football Federation told Reuters that Artan had been issued a diplomatic passport.

“Artan was travelling on a diplomatic passport which we issued for the World Cup to ensure he didn’t face any obstacles,” a Somali ​diplomat at the embassy in Nairobi said.

A U.S. official said that Artan did not try to enter the U.S. on a diplomatic ​passport, without addressing whether ⁠he had one.

Somalia’s foreign ministry expressed “deep regret” over the U.S. decision in a statement issued on Wednesday. It said the Somali government had made unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to enable Artan’s travel.

A FIFA spokesperson said Artan would now not be able to train or officiate at the tournament, which is being held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and starts on Thursday.

Without identifying Artan, ⁠the U.S. Customs ​and Border Protection said a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was ​deemed inadmissible because of vetting concerns.

An administration official later said CBP officials had determined that Artan was a threat to national security.

It was not clear which game or games Artan would have refereed, although such information is ​typically only announced two to three days in advance.