A Somali referee who is due to officiate at the World Cup has been denied entry to the U.S. after โvetting concernsโ emerged upon his arrival in Florida over the weekend.
Omar Artan arrived at Miami International Airport on a flight from Istanbul on Saturday but was barred from entering the country following a โroutineโ inspection, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed in a statement to The Athletic.
Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football menโs referee of the year, is one of 52 referees handpicked by world governing body FIFA for the tournament.
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