Somali football fans say they are angry and disappointed after Omar Artan, Africa’s top referee, was denied entry to the US for the World Cup despite holding a valid visa.
The East African country has been the target of disparaging remarks by US President Donald Trump in recent months. Many Somalis regard the visa denial as part of a broader pattern of US discrimination and hostility towards their country.
“Omar Artan’s US visa denial really angered me. I am still shocked. He was carrying our hopes and ambitions as Somalis,” said Mohamed Omar, a taxi driver and football fan in Mogadishu. “We blame President Trump’s recent attacks on us, which we believe is the reason why he was targeted. This is unacceptable.”
Since returning to office last year, Mr Trump has repeatedly singled out Somalis for criticism amid his administration's crackdown on immigration. He has described Somalia as “the worst country on Earth” and claimed Somali immigrants had “destroyed Minnesota”.
The US is home to about 260,000 people of Somali descent, according to the 2024 census, with the largest concentration living in Minneapolis.
The visa controversy comes a year after a US travel ban on 12 countries, including Somalia, came into effect.
Hero's welcome
Artan, who in 2025 was named men's referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football, was set to be the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup.
“I am very, very disappointed,” Artan told The New York Times from Istanbul. “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.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa. I think that they have a problem with my country.”
The Somali Football Federation described Artan's appointment as a milestone for the country, the result of years of dedication, professionalism and integrity. It said it had not received an official explanation for why Artan had been denied entry.
“Up to now, the Somali Football Federation has no official information that clearly indicates the real reason why this matter happened. As such, we believe it is not right to speculate or reach a conclusion until all facts are clearly confirmed,” the federation said.
In Mogadishu, football supporters were preparing to give Artan a hero’s welcome on his return, with calls for fans to gather in large numbers to show solidarity.
Support for Artan has also taken the form of fundraising. A GoFundMe campaign titled “Donate to football should open doors – Not close them” was launched shortly after the incident. With a target of $45,000, the campaign aims to help the referee recover lost tournament-related income and demonstrate public support.
'Focused on the next challenges'
Despite the circumstances, Artan said he remained focused on his career and future opportunities.
“I am in a positive mood, and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. “I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best of success during the World Cup, and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions”.
Somalia's government said it had tried to negotiate with the US and Fifa so that Artan could enter the country. Fifa has stated that it had no authority over host-country immigration decisions.
“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,” it said.
Fans in Somalia were not satisfied with Fifa's response.
Abdi Ali, a long-time football supporter, said responsibility lay with the football governing body, the US administration and Somalia’s government.
“Artan is Fifa's referee, and they should not accept their officials being mistreated. We also expected our government to stand firmly with him,” he said.
Football is Somalia’s most popular sport, and fans closely follow international competitions despite decades of conflict. Even during periods when the terrorist group Al Shabab attempted to ban football broadcasts, many Somalis continued watching matches, underscoring the game’s enduring appeal across the country.
