The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has begun against a backdrop of entry disputes and travel restrictions that have already sidelined a top referee and disrupted multiple national squads. The most prominent case is that of Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a 34-year-old Somali referee who was denied entry to the United States upon arriving at Miami International Airport on Saturday, effectively ending his historic chance to become the first Somali national to officiate at a World Cup.
Artan, who was named the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) men's referee of the year for 2025 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations, had been travelling with valid documents, including a diplomatic passport issued specifically to ease his travel following earlier visa difficulties, according to Somali officials. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed he was "determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns" following additional inspection at the airport, without providing further detail. Somalia is among the countries subject to travel restrictions introduced by the Trump administration, and Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, told the BBC that he supported the decision, though he declined to elaborate on the specific grounds. FIFA confirmed Artan's exclusion from the tournament, stating it has no authority over host country immigration processes. Artan, currently in Turkey, said he remained in a positive mood and was focused on future competitions.
The Somali case is one of several entry-related controversies shadowing the tournament. Iran's national team has been forced to base itself in Tijuana, Mexico — just across the US border — after roughly 15 delegation members, including the head of Iran's football federation, were denied US visas, reportedly due to past ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Players who hold valid visas may enter the US for matches but must return to their Mexican base afterwards. Iraq's star striker Ayman Hussein faced approximately seven hours of secondary screening at Chicago's airport before being allowed to join his squad. Morocco's Zakariya El Wahidi had his visa application rejected twice before eventually obtaining clearance shortly before the tournament began, prompting the Moroccan team to travel with a reserve player not on the official squad list as a precaution.
The entry disputes have drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups and local officials. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the travel restrictions, arguing that completing the standard vetting process should be sufficient for entry regardless of nationality. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly rebuked federal plans to deploy a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the city during the tournament, which will host multiple matches including the final at a nearby New Jersey stadium. "Soccer would not exist without immigrants," Mamdani wrote, pledging the city would not allow fear to take hold in its communities.
The accumulation of incidents raises wider questions about the United States' ability to serve as a neutral and welcoming host for a global event built on universal participation. The US State Department formalised expanded entry restrictions in December 2025, maintaining full travel limits on citizens from twelve countries it classifies as "high risk," including Somalia and Iran. FIFA, which awarded President Donald Trump its inaugural peace prize last year, has so far declined to challenge these policies publicly, reiterating only that host governments retain final authority over who may enter their territory.