Omar Ardan, the Somali referee who was denied entry to the United States, returned to his country and was greeted at Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport by an enthusiastic crowd that included government officials and representatives of the Somali Football Federation, who praised him, presented him with flowers and wrapped him in the Somali flag.

Artan, 34, was to be the first Somali referee to officiate a World Cup match, but was removed from FIFA's official roster for the 2026 World Cup soccer tournament after the United States denied him entry to its territory.

Named Referee of the Year 2025 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Somali referee was denied entry at Miami International Airport last Saturday. He was initially returned to Türkiye, from where he flew to Mogadishu.

"I would like to thank the officials, ministers, parliamentarians and everyone. I want to thank my country and people for their support. The encouragement I have received here, I know I will receive more outside (the airport)," Artan said after landing.

"Everything is predestined. FIFA supported me well and was in contact with me until I arrived in Mogadishu."

"I promise you that I will be refereeing for you in the next World Cup. Somalia, everywhere in the world, I am giving you notice."

Artan urged Somali youth not to lose faith in the country despite the treatment they received, urging them to defend the honor of Somalia. “We all belong to Somalia whether it is good or bad,” he said. "The flag is ours and so is the passport. Let's defend them."

And he added: "Youth should not be demoralized about their country. Despite what is happening to me, I continue to defend my nation."

“I want to continue my journey from here and I urge the youth to do the same.”

U.S. immigration authorities gave no reason for Artan's repatriation, but Somalia is one of several countries on the U.S. travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump's administration.

After speaking with the American authorities, the world governing body, FIFA, announced that the prominent referee will not participate in the tournament.

“FIFA can confirm that referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not be able to coach or referee at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry from the United States,” it said in a statement.

“FIFA is not linked to the host country's immigration processes, including the allocation of visas, and has been informed by authorities that Mr. Artan's status will not be changed at this time.”

“In accordance with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives the visa and who is admitted to its country.”

The international head of referees Pierluigi Collina created a training center in Miami that will concentrate all the 52 referees and 88 assistant judges of the 2026 World Cup.

All of them, even those who are refereeing matches in Mexico or Canada, must remain at that base in Florida for the duration of the tournament for training and preparation, and for safety.

“They have a problem with my country”

Before returning to Somalia, Artan said he was subjected to an 11-hour immigration interview before being denied entry into the United States, despite having proper documents.

“I am very, very disappointed,” Artan told the New York Times. “I'm just a referee trying to make his dream come true: the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”

"I had the documents in order and everything else. I had the correct visa," Artan said.

Following the 11-hour immigration interview, Artan was moved to a separate holding cell, where he was detained for several hours before being put on a return flight to Istanbul, Turkey.

In December, Trump told reporters that he did not want Somali immigrants in the United States and that they should “go back to their country of origin.”

“I think they have a problem with my country,” Artan added.

An official at the Somali embassy in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan had been issued a diplomatic passport to facilitate his travel after previously having visa difficulties.

Speaking to the Reuters agency, Artan stated that, despite the circumstances, his mood was positive and he was focused on his next challenge.

“I would like to thank FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football) for their support and I am committed to keeping my refereeing standards high as I focus on the future,” he said.

“I want to thank the football family for their messages and I wish my colleagues every success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”

The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has contacted FIFA requesting urgent clarification.

In conversation with the BBC World Service, Andrew Giuliani, who heads the White House World Cup Task Force, said: “While I cannot delve into the derogatory information on this, I can tell you that the decision made by customs and border patrol was the correct one and I support it.”

Pressure against the Somali community

Since the start of his second term, President Trump has openly stated that he does not want Somali immigrants in the US.

The comments anticipated a broad deportation operation launched in January 2026 by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a city with a large Somali community.

Omar Artan was appointed as a FIFA referee in 2018.

In 2023 he conducted matches at the African Cup of Nations and in 2025 he was named the best African referee of the year.

Somali officials urged the global football community to show their support for the prominent referee.

“Omar Artan is one of the most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior advisor to the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Somalia, quoted by the AFP agency.

“Denying him entry to the US and prohibiting him from refereeing scheduled matches not only harms him personally but undermines football's commitment to impartiality, merit and the spirit of fair play,” he added.