FIFA boss Infantino says case of Somali referee 'unfortunate'

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday described as "unfortunate" the case of Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan, who was refused entry to the United States.

"It is unfortunate as well what happened to... Omar, the referee from Somalia. But again, we don't control everything," Infantino said at a press conference on the eve of the tournament.

Artan, 34, was named Africa's best male referee in 2025 and had successfully secured a US visa through the Somali Embassy in Kenya. However, upon arriving at Miami International Airport for centralized FIFA training, he was detained for 11 hours by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before being deemed inadmissible due to "vetting concerns" and put on a flight back to Istanbul.

While anonymous US sources later alleged the rejection was tied to "suspected associations," officials from the Somalia Youth and Sports Ministry suggested the blanket decision may stem from systemic travel restrictions targeting Somali nationals rather than specific evidence against Artan himself.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on the eve of the World Cup that world football's governing body "does not control everything" when it came to issuing visas and who to let into the United States.

Asked if he felt FIFA had "lost control of the tournament" after Somali referee Omar Artan was turned away at the US border and members of Iran team's support staff were refused visas, Infantino said at a press conference: "We try always to find solutions, but then we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces, we are a sports organization."