Somali referee Omar Artan touched down back in Mogadishu to a hero's welcome and insisted his World Cup dream was not over.
Artan was turned away at Miami International Airport last weekend despite possessing valid travel documents, denying him the opportunity of officiating at this summer's tournament being held across the US, Canada and Mexico.
The match official, who has refereed high-level games including the Africa Cup of Nations, said he was subjected to an 11-hour interview with border officials in Miami and then taken to a holding cell where he was detained for several further hours before being put on a flight back to Turkey.
But after landing at the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Wednesday, Artan thanked the hundreds of fans who turned up to show their support and vowed that he will go on and represent his country on the world stage.
“I promise you that, God willing, I will be at the next World Cup to represent us all. I will work even harder to make that dream a reality. Somalia is our country,” Artan said while draped in the sky-blue Somali flag and flanked by senior government officials.
“Whatever challenges it may face, we have our flag and our passport, and we must always be proud of our identity and be ready to defend it.
“I urge Somali youth not to be discouraged by what happened. Despite everything, I am back home, and there is no other country where I would rather be.
“This is my home, and I am determined to work even harder to represent Somalia on the world's biggest sporting stages. I encourage young people to remain positive, stay focused on the future, and never give up on their ambitions.”
After addressing the crowd, Artan was escorted under tight security to Villa Somalia, the presidential palace, where he was scheduled to meet President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Later in the evening, an even larger crowd is expected to gather at the famous K4 junction in central Mogadishu to celebrate the referee, whose return has sparked a wave of national pride and solidarity.
In an earlier interview, Artan had described how the US Customs and Border Protection decision had robbed of the “biggest dream of my life”.
Somalia is one of several countries whose citizens have been the subject of a complete ban on travel into the United States that was implemented in June last year.
“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,” said Artan, who in 2025 was named men's referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football.
A US State Department official said on Tuesday the United States had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to “suspected members of terror organisations”.
A Fifa spokesperson said Artan would not now be able to train or officiate at the tournament, which kicks off on Thursday in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and had removed him from its 52-man roster.
He would have been the first Somali to referee at a World Cup.
Somalia's government said it had unsuccessfully tried to negotiate with the US and Fifa so that Artan could enter the country.
“His international achievements are a source of honour and pride for the Somali people,” the sports ministry said in a statement.
The Somali Football Federation (SFF) expressed sadness over the incident, calling Artan's appointment a milestone for the country that resulted from years of dedication, professionalism and integrity.
The SFF said it had not received an official explanation why Artan was denied entry, adding that it was working closely with Fifa and relevant authorities to understand the circumstances.
Without identifying Artan, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement that a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns.
An administration official later said CBP officials had determined that Artan was a threat to national security.
“Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations, was discovered,” the official said in comments shared with reporters on condition of anonymity.
That made the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the official added.
“President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country, full stop.”
