Ian Wright shares heartfelt reaction after Somalian referee is blocked from entering the US for the World Cup
Ian Wright has called the upcoming World Cup “chaos” after referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States, even though he was officially on FIFA’s list of officials for the tournament.
Artan was about to make history as the first Somali referee at the World Cup, chosen by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to represent the continent. The 34-year-old traveled on a diplomatic passport from the Somali Embassy, but after a routine check at Miami International Airport, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) turned him away over “vetting concerns.”
A CBP spokesperson explained to CNN that Artan underwent extra screening, which is a normal step when officers need to confirm details or decide if someone can enter the country. After this, they decided he could not be allowed in because of those concerns.
FIFA confirmed to SPORTbible that Artan will miss the tournament this summer. Somalia is on US President Donald Trump’s travel ban list, but no clear reason has been shared for why Artan was sent back.
“FIFA can confirm that referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan won’t be able to train or officiate at the 2026 World Cup because he was denied entry to the US,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “FIFA doesn’t handle visa decisions or immigration, and we’ve been told his status won’t change for now. The host country ultimately decides who gets a visa and who is allowed in.”
Wright, who will be working as a pundit for ITV during the World Cup, shared his thoughts in an Instagram video, calling the situation “chaos” as delays and denials keep happening to fans, players, officials, and journalists.
“I just heard the Somali referee was denied entry,” he said. “It seems like every few hours there’s a new problem—fans denied, players denied, officials denied, journalists denied, now refs. It’s almost laughable, but it’s not funny.”
He went on, “Tickets are super expensive, accommodation and transport costs are sky-high. Is this really how the hosts should act for the world’s biggest football event? Are we not hearing more about these issues? It’s definitely not the spirit of football.”
Wright expressed sympathy for American fans excited about the tournament. “I feel for the US fans who have been waiting for this. It must be so embarrassing for them.”
He finished by saying, “This is truly a World Cup full of chaos. Whoever wins this tournament will have had to overcome a lot of problems. I hope it can still be great, but right now, something needs to be said. This is the World Cup.”