Omar Artan (Cumar Cabdulqaadir Cartan)

Who is he?

Omar Abdulkadir Artan is a Somali football referee (Wikipedia, Omar Artan). He has been on FIFA's international referees list since 2018 (same source). He was born in Mogadishu on 6 June 1992 (same source). See sport in Somalia.

Career in Africa

He began in Somali local leagues and became a referee in the Somali First Division (Wikipedia). In January 2024 he became the first Somali to referee at the Africa Cup of Nations, in a group match between Tunisia and Namibia (same source). He took charge of the 2024–25 CAF Champions League final, won by Pyramids of Egypt over Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa (same source). He was the first referee from Somalia to run a continental final (same source). He was the only referee from sub-Saharan Africa at the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup (same source). He was named CAF Men's Referee of the Year for 2025 (same source).

The 2026 World Cup

In April 2026 FIFA picked him as one of three centre referees from Africa for the World Cup (same source). He was the first Somali chosen for the tournament (same source). In June 2026 he flew from Istanbul to Miami for a FIFA seminar (same source). US Customs and Border Protection refused him entry, citing "vetting concerns", and sent him back to Istanbul (Global News, June 2026). A State Department official later told AFP that he was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations" (same source). He has not been charged with any offence (same source).

He said he faced an 11-hour interview and was given no clear reason (Wikipedia). He called the World Cup "the biggest dream of my life" (same source). FIFA said entry decisions rested with the host government (same source). Toronto's mayor Olivia Chow said refusing him entry "is not right" (same source). He returned to Mogadishu on 10 June 2026 to a public welcome (same source). FIFA later said he would receive his full tournament fee (same source).

After the World Cup

On 29 June 2026 he refereed the final match of the Kuwaiti Premier League season (same source). On 7 August he refereed the CECAFA Kagame Cup final in Kigali (same source). On 12 August 2026 he refereed the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg (same source). Wikipedia records him as the first African to referee a UEFA competition match (same source). He signed the match ball "This was my World Cup" (same source). In October 2026 Egyptian media reported he had asked to referee in Egypt's Premier League (same source).

In short

A Mogadishu-born FIFA referee who reached the top of African refereeing, was refused entry to the United States before the 2026 World Cup and refereed the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.