U.S. bars entry of FIFA World Cup referee from Somalia

Federal immigration authorities barred a Somali soccer referee who was slated to officiate the FIFA World Cup from entering the U.S. over the weekend, Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Monday, citing "vetting concerns." A FIFA spokesperson confirmed one of its officials, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, "will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States." "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," the spokesperson said. "In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country." CBP, which oversees customs agents at international airports, said the referee was "determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry." He had arrived at Miami International Airport on Saturday on a flight from Istanbul, and underwent additional inspection, CBP said. It is unclear why Artan was denied entry, but Somalia is one of 39 countries listed on President Trump's "travel ban" executive order signed last year, which bars or restricts the entry of foreign nationals on national security grounds. …