After being refused admittance to the United States for the World Cup, Somali referee Omar Artan returned to Mogadishu to a hero’s welcome and promised to compete in the following competition in 2030.

As Artan departed from a Turkish Airlines flight to applause, more than a hundred supporters gathered outside the VIP area of Mogadishu’s main airport, waving national flags.

“I’ll be at the next World Cup and I’ll keep making Somalia proud.” Artan told reporters, “I am not discouraged despite what has happened to me.”

Outrage at home has been triggered by Artan’s rejection.

At the airport, Mohamed Said, a government official from Mogadishu, declared, “They wronged him in a way that hurts everybody that is concerned about humanity.”

After landing at Miami International Airport on Saturday, Artan—who won the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) 2025 men’s referee of the year award—was denied entry into the United States.
The referee was “associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations,” which “makes the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States,” a US State Department official told AFP late on Tuesday.

Additionally, FIFA said that he will not be participating in the World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday.

For his countrymen, Artan’s selection to the 52-person roster of referees for the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States was a great source of pride.

In April, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, declared himself to be “a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis.”