U.S. Blocks Somali World Cup Referee Entry Over Vetting Concerns

U.S. Customs and Border Protection barred Somali FIFA World Cup referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan from entering the United States due to vetting concerns; he arrived in Miami from Istanbul and was deemed inadmissible, with FIFA confirming he cannot train or officiate at the tournament, while noting host-country immigration decisions are separate from FIFA adjudications. Somalia condemned the decision, and Artan is a respected referee; the World Cup is being hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada amid heightened security and stricter immigration enforcement.