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Political leaders in Canada's World Cup host cities have rallied behind Omar Artan, the Somali referee who was refused entry into the United States and will no longer be able to officiate his scheduled matches at the 2026 World Cup.
Artan touched down in the U.S. on Monday and was turned back at the border, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection declaring him inadmissible at Miami International Airport. On Tuesday, a U.S. official informed ESPN that he was refused entry due to "association with suspected members of terror organizations."
According to the New York Times, Artan was questioned in Miami for 11 hours by a border agent and asked about the purpose of his visit to the U.S., while being pressed on matters relating to Somali politics and militant groups. Despite presenting his FIFA credentials and, reportedly, a single-entry visa, he was put on a flight to Istanbul, away from his assigned fixtures.
British Columbia Premier David Eby, the senior political figure overseeing the World Cup's seven matches in Vancouver, expressed his wish to welcome Artan to BC and Canada, where he would likely be permitted entry and could officiate in some of the 13 games, divided between Vancouver and Toronto.
"Mr. Artan would be welcomed and celebrated in British Columbia for what he's overcome and where he is today," Eby said on social media. "Let's have him referee in Vancouver."
Toronto mayor Olivia Chow, whose city will host six matches at the tournament, including Canada's opening game on Friday afternoon against Bosnia and Herzegovina, echoed the same sentiment.
"Denying entry to Omar Artan, who has earned his place on the world stage through hard work and perseverance, is not right," Chow said in a statement. "Toronto believes in fairness, inclusion, and giving talent the opportunity to shine. He would be welcome to referee here in our city. I will be writing to FIFA to let them know he is welcome to referee here."
While both officials made their voices heard through the media, Artan returned to Somalia on Tuesday to a rousing reception at the airport, having posted that "despite the circumstances," he was "in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career."
Why Couldn't Artan Take Canada's Offer?
Artan is unlikely to be able to accept Canada's offer to officiate any of the 13 games, as all FIFA officials for the tournament are required to attend an on-pitch training camp in Florida, where they will complete final preparations and security protocols ahead of the matches.
He acknowledged as much in a statement released following his denial, and upon his arrival in Mogadishu to a large crowd and a hero's welcome.
"I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one," he told a crowd at the airport, according to The Associated Press. "I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident."
Trump's World Cup Impact
Artan's denial marks the latest development in the Trump administration's policies affecting the 2026 World Cup. Somalia is among 12 nations subject to a full entry ban, which came into force in June 2025.
Ahead of the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., last December, Trump said Somalia was "barely a country, you know, they have no anything," that Somali immigrants should "go back to where they came from" and that the U.S. would "go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage to our country."
He made those remarks in the lead-up to an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, which is home to a large Somali community.
The refusal of Artan's visa adds to the difficulties several nations have encountered entering the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., most notably Iran's relocation of their base camp from Tucson, Ariz. to Tijuana, Mexico, as well as the complications facing DR Congo due to the worsening Ebola outbreak in their region and the hurdles confronting fans from Haiti, one of the 12 countries on Trump's banned list.
While the World Cup is set to get underway in Mexico on Thursday, the U.S. and Canada will host their opening games on Friday, as problems continue to mount despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino's assurances that the world would be welcomed in 2025. "Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year," he previously stated. "There is a process to go through to get visas and so on. But this process will be smooth."