New Delhi, June 9 -- He had dodged explosions on the roads to his training ground in Mogadishu. He had become the first Somali to referee a continental final, the first to work an Africa Cup of Nations, the first chosen for a World Cup. He had a valid visa. He had a confirmed seat on a flight from Istanbul. What he did not have, it turned out, was the one thing no FIFA credential could provide: permission from the United States government to land.

a process CBP described as routine - and was subsequently "determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns." He was put on a return flight to Turkey. FIFA confirmed the same afternoon that Artan would take no part in the 2026 World Cup, which opens on American soil on Thursday.

No offici...