Somali referee Omar Artan said that he had been robbed of the "biggest dream of my life" after he was denied entry into the US to officiate at the 2026 World Cup.
Artan was turned away at Miami International Airport last weekend despite possessing valid travel documents.
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 at Miami airport and then taken to a holding cell where he was detained for several further hours before being put on a flight back to Turkey.
"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."
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 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."
