Somali referee banned from US over terror concerns flagged as potential antisemite as well

The referee from Somalia who was supposed to take part in the soccer World Cup before being turned away at the U.S. border was rejected due to concerns over possible terror connections, a U.S. official explained Wednesday.

Omar Artan, named Africa’s best male referee in 2025, was set to become the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup.

The rejection of his visa to the U.S., which is hosting the largest soccer tournament together with Canada and Mexico, caused international outrage and accusations of racism and discrimination against the Trump administration.

Talking to BBC Sports on Wednesday, a Trump administration source explained that “upon further inspection by CBP [Customs and Border Protection], derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered.”

Vetting is important.

‘Jews, target Muslims and Arabs, and suck their blood.’ https://t.co/vPmHePIUyf pic.twitter.com/SyZ1kn5C9x

— REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND (@RepOfSomaliland) June 10, 2026

“President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country - full stop,” the source added.

In the days following Artan’s rejection, a prominent 𝕏 account affiliated with the Republic of Somaliland highlighted a post from 2014 by an account allegedly owned by Artan, in which he wrote, “Jews, target Muslims and Arabs, and suck their blood.”

The website Jewish News later wrote that “Jews benefit at the expense of Muslims, and Arab blood has been shed” is a more accurate translation of the tweet, which came during the 2014 Gaza War. The account in Artan’s name has since been deleted.

“Seems that the Somali referee that was turned away at the border in Miami is a rabid antisemite,” commented Alex Gandler, spokesman of the Israeli embassy in the UK. “ Now the question is why was he chosen to referee in the world cup?”

The Somalilandian account further pointed out that Artan “previously posted on Facebook blasting the corrupt Mogadishu government for handing out Somalian diplomatic passports to TikTokers, random civilians, and cronies in exchange for cash or political favors… A few months later, he conveniently obtained a diplomatic passport for himself.”

This has also been cited as a potential reason for the rejection of his entry visa.

Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda affiliate, is now the official sponsor for referee Omar Arten.

Talk about confirming USA’s concerns in real time. Terrorists endorsing you is not a good look. pic.twitter.com/0R3Oxsau9w

— REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND (@RepOfSomaliland) June 10, 2026

It also highlighted a post in support of Artan published by al-Shabaab, the notorious al-Qaeda affiliate controlling swathes of Somalia.

According to the New York Times, a name similar to Artan’s name and linked to the terror gruop appears on a U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list. Artan told the newspaper that border officials asked him about potential connections to al-Shabaab, and that he denied knowing anything about the group.

The terror group accused the U.S. of “racial and ethnic prejudice,” while using the case to urge Somalis not to “waste time” on the World Cup but rather “join hands and build a Somalia that is defined by… divine governance by Islamic Shari’ah.”

Thousands gathered in Mogadishu to welcome referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan after the US barred him from entering to officiate at the 2025 World Cup, calling him a security threat. Many in Somalia have denounced the move as discriminatory. pic.twitter.com/5OKQRUDv0P

— AJE Sport (@AJE_Sport) June 11, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025 issued a full entry ban for citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia.

Artan received a hero’s welcome from hundreds of supporters upon arriving back in Mogadishu on Wednesday.

“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he told the crowd.

“Let's all defend Somalia's honour. We all belong to Somalia whether it's bad or good. That flag is ours and so is the passport - let's defend it,” Artan declared.