Nigeria, June 9 -- The world football governing body, FIFA, has confirmed that Somali referee Omar Artan will not officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after he was denied entry to the United States.

Artan, who was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup finals, was reportedly stopped at Miami International Airport and subsequently repatriated. According to the BBC, he is currently in Turkey.

In a statement issued after discussions with US authorities, FIFA confirmed that the highly rated official would miss the tournament.

"Fifa can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States," read a s...