Scandal before the World Cup? Somalian Arbiter Banned to U.S.

Somalyz Arbiter Omar Artan, who was prior to judging matches in the world tournament, is said to have been prevented from entering the United States.

According to reports, despite the support of the Somalia Embassy in Nairobi, which had provided her a diplomatic passport, Artan was forced to return once he arrived on American territory.

The event has caused great surprise in the football community, especially given that Omar Artan was declared the best African Referee of 2025”, an assessment confirmed as one of the most respected judges on the continent.

So far there has been no official response from the American authorities regarding the reasons for refusing to enter the Somali referee. The situation remains developing and clarifications are expected in the coming days.