Italy’s repechage to the World Cup: one of the international referees rejected, chaos at the border

Three days to go before the 2026 World Cup kicks off in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and there are still diplomatic misunderstandings and sensational incidents at the border. The latest one for once does not involve Iran: Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, selected by FIFA for the final stage of the tournament, was turned away upon arrival in the United States by Border Patrol.

Artan had obtained a visa to enter the country, but was sent back to Turkey, from where he had departed for the United States via Kenya. The Trump administration suspended visas for 75 countries, including Somalia, earlier this year. The Somali referee is one of 52 match directors chosen by FIFA, and is considered one of Africa’s best referees. He was named best African referee of the year in 2025 and has directed several high-profile matches in recent years. It is currently unclear whether the misunderstanding will be cleared up and whether or not Artan will be granted entry.

The case of the Somali referee is, after all, but the latest chapter in a series of diplomatic tensions that are characterizing the run-up to the tournament. The Iranian national team managed only in the last few hours to obtain the U.S. visas needed to participate in the competition, after weeks of uncertainty related to the difficult geopolitical situation between Washington and Tehran. However, it was not only the players who suffered: some key members of the delegation, including the team manager, executive director, photographer, and communications manager, have not yet received permission to enter the United States.

Iraq’s striker Aymen Hussein had been stopped at the airport on Saturday. The player was detained for a full seven hours in an airport room in Chicago after being separated from his teammates for questioning. Hussein was eventually allowed to enter, but team photographer Talal Salah was instead turned away.