2026 W/Cup: Clinton Slams Decision To Deny Somali Referee Entry To US

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has lashed out after Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States after being selected to officiate at the FIFA World Cup.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed on Monday that a Somali man scheduled to referee at the World Cup was denied entry after flying from Istanbul to Miami. FIFA later confirmed that Artan, the only World Cup referee from Somalia, had been stopped at the border.

The CBP stated that “vetting concerns” led to Artan being denied entry, despite being named in FIFA’s final officiating list for the tournament. Clinton shared the story on her X account and slammed the U.S. for being “backward” and “flippantly barring” officials arriving in the U.S. to do a job.

“As a World Cup host, the U.S. shouldn’t be flippantly barring officials from entering the country to do their jobs,” Clinton wrote on X (via Mirror) “It’s terribly backward.

“It’s also counterproductive. Global sports competitions should improve international exchange and relations, not the reverse.”

Also Read: 2026 W/Cup: FIFA Reacts After US Denies Somali Referee Entry

Artan was scheduled to meet with his fellow World Cup referees for training in Miami, but was sent home. Somalia has been listed among the nations subject to new travel restrictions by the Trump administration. Still, the Somali embassy in Kenya claimed that Artan was issued a visa to travel to the U.S. last week. According to the New York Times, Artan was interviewed at Miami International Airport for 11 hours, and questioned about his politics and reasons for traveling to the U.S. “I think that they have a problem with my country,” he told the outlet.

Artan claimed to have shown his FIFA documentation, proof of his officiating career, and displayed the visa he had been granted. However, he was still denied entry, and Somali officials are attempting to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said on Monday in the statement. “I would like to thank FIFA and [the African federation] for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future.