Somali referee Omar Artan will not officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.

Artan, who was set to become the first Somali referee to work at a FIFA World Cup finals, was stopped at Miami International Airport while traveling to the tournament. He was carrying valid travel documents, including a diplomatic passport issued to help resolve earlier visa issues.

The Somali government said it made strong diplomatic efforts after learning about the problem, but those efforts were unsuccessful. FIFA later confirmed that Artan had been removed from the tournament, explaining that immigration decisions are made by host countries.

U.S. authorities did not publicly explain why Artan was denied entry. Somalia is one of several countries affected by travel restrictions introduced under President Donald Trump’s administration.