Referee barred from entering U.S. for World Cup receives a hero’s welcome in Somalia

World CupReferee barred from entering U.S. for World Cup receives a hero’s welcome in SomaliaOmar Artan, 34, was meant to be the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup. Instead, he says was questioned for hours about a militant group and then denied entry to the U.S.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleSomali World Cup referee receives hero's welcome after U.S. denies entry00:30Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 10, 2026, 12:57 PM EDTBy Alexander Smith and Abigail WilliamsSomalia is not competing at the World Cup, but from the scenes at Mogadishu’s airport Wednesday, you’d think the country had won the trophy. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.A crowd of supporters, blue-bereted police and journalists jostled to get close to the plane that had just taxied to the terminal ramp.Stepping off the airliner was not a victorious soccer team, however, but rather the man who has become an emblem of what critics say are America’s strict anti-immigration policies colliding with the world’s biggest sporting event.Omar Artan, 34, was meant to be the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup, selected for the tournament starting Thursday in the United States, Canada and Mexico. But after landing Saturday in Miami, where the referees’ training base is, he was detained and questioned for 11 hours, he says, before being sent back home.He is not an isolated case: 15 Iranian officials have also been denied entry, according to Iranian state media, as has the official Iraqi team photographer. An Iraqi player, Aymen Hussein, and other teams say they have been subjected to intensive and sometimes invasive searches at the border.The U.S. government gave assurances to FIFA years ahead of the soccer tournament that “eligible athletes, officials and fans from all countries around the world” would be able to attend. But preparations for the tournament fac...