Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan welcomed home as hero after US entry denial

Thousands gathered in Mogadishu to welcome home referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry to the United States where he had been due to officiate at the 2025 FIFA World Cup. American authorities deemed him a national security threat. Artan, named African Referee of the Year for 2025, had been set to become the first Somali official to work at the tournament. His exclusion has drawn widespread condemnation in Somalia, with many describing it as discrimination.

Al Jazeera's David Stokes reports.

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