The Somalian referee who was kicked out of the US ahead of the World Cup has a similar name to a man with links to a terrorist organization backed by al Qaida.
Acclaimed as the ‘best referee in Africa’, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, 34, was dropped from FIFA’s list for the tournament after the American authorities refused him permission to enter the country at Miami International Airport.
The Trump administration later claimed he was turned away due to ‘terrorism fears’ in a shocking turn of events that has caused a major outcry and support for the referee who expressed his bitter disappointment at the rejection.
He said the decision had shattered his ‘biggest dream’ of officiating at a World Cup.
Now, according to The New York Times, it has emerged that Artan has a similar name as a man linked to the Al Shabab extremist group. There is no evidence the referee is linked to terrorism.
‘They asked me several times if I had ever met representatives of Al Shabab,’ the referee said. ‘I explained to them that I knew nothing about this military group, that I was only in the United States to do my job as a referee.’
The Somalian World Cup referee kicked out of the US has a similar name to a man with links to a terrorist organization backed by al Qaida
Al-Shabab extremists pictured in a file photo in 2011
The similarity in their names would have led to additional questioning by border officials about any potential ties to Al Shabab, an immigration lawyer told The New York Times.
Al-Shabab emerged in the mid-2000s as the armed wing of the now outlawed Islamic Courts Union coalition before aligning itself with al-Qaida. At its peak, it controlled much of southern and central Somalia, including parts of Mogadishu, the country’s capital.
African Union troops pushed al-Shabab out of Mogadishu in 2011, but the group adapted, reverting to guerrilla warfare, suicide bombings, and targeted assassinations. It continues to raise millions of dollars annually through taxation and extortion, according to U.N. monitors.
The United States has carried out airstrikes in Somalia for more than a decade. In 2020, during his first term in office, President Donald Trump ordered most U.S. troops withdrawn.
In 2022, President Joe Biden approved the redeployment of U.S. forces to Somalia, restoring a more sustained advisory and counterterrorism presence.
Somalia is on Trump’s travel ban list and last month he said of Somali immigrants in America: ‘They’re all crooks.’ In January he called the nation ‘the worst country in the world’.
Artan was put on a flight to Turkey and then back home to Somalia where he was greeted with plenty of fanfare. He was filmed stepping off the plane and being mobbed by well-wishers and dignitaries, shaking hands and smiling broadly.
The referee then posed for photos while holding up the Somalian flag in a show of national pride and defiance. His exclusion from the World Cup has been a major talking point ahead of the tournament kicking off on Thursday.
Artan insisted he was ‘very disappointed’ in the decision, adding: ‘I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa.’
Artan was given a hero’s welcome when he arrived back in Somalia on Wednesday morning
Artan said the decision had shattered his ‘biggest dream’ of officiating at a World Cup
In a statement provided to FOX, a Trump official said: ‘This individual was seeking admission to the United States.
‘Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered making the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
‘The traveler was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA.
‘President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country – full stop.’
FIFA initially confirmed last week that Artan’s visa situation had been ‘fully resolved and he will now be available to officiate at the FIFA World Cup’.
But on Monday night the governing body released a statement, reading: ‘FIFA can confirm that match official 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.
‘In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.’
Somalia is on Trump’s travel ban list and he called Somali immigrants in America ‘crooks’
Meanwhile, when discussing the matter with the New York Times, Artan said: ‘I am very, very disappointed. I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.’
The Somali official also claimed that he also showed documentation from FIFA and photographs of his career as a professional referee to border officials.
They also checked online material about his career, said Artan – who was named referee of the year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football.
The official claims his immigration interview ended after 11 hours, before he was taken to a separate holding cell. He was detained there for several more hours before being put on a flight back to Istanbul, despite officials not giving him a reason for denying him entry to the US.
The United States has refused to issue visas to some members of Iran’s staff for the World Cup.
Iran players landed in Mexico at the weekend and the entire squad were pictured disembarking from their plane with pins on their clothing bearing the number 168, a reference to the number of people killed by what was believed to be a US missile in February.
Last week Iraqi World Cup star Aymen Hussein was held and questioned for almost seven hours after arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
He was eventually allowed to enter, along with the rest of the Iraq squad, but the team’s photographer was barred from entering the country.
