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Somali referee Omar Artan has been denied entry into the United States and dropped from the list of officials. Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men's referee of the year, has been barred from entry into the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey. The referee had been issued by US immigration authorities, but Somalia is on a travel ban list set up by Donald Trump's administration. Fifa confirmed Artan will miss the tournament after speaking with US authorities. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say In a statement, Fifa said: "Fifa can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States. "Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan's status will not be changed at present. "In line with previous Fifa events, a host Government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country." Artan said despite the situation, he is remaining in an upbeat mood. LATEST SPORTS NEWS England's World Cup camp rocked by tremors from 6.1 magnitude earthquake Donald Trump booed in New York as President attends NBA Finals Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson under investigation over nightclub incident He said: "I would like to thank Fifa and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future," he said. "I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup, and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions." The Somali Football Federation has contacted Fifa seeking clarity. Artan was one of 52 referees announced by Fifa to officiate at the World Cup, having been a referee with Fifa since 2018. The Iranian national team were also impacted by the US travel restrictions, with Mexico having to host the nation for the World Cup. The team had originally planned to set up its camp in Tucson, Arizona. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed the US had requested that Mexico host Iran. Sheinbaum said: "The United States does not want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States. "They asked us because they are going to play all three matches there. So they asked us: 'Can they stay overnight in Mexico?' "And we said: 'Yes, no problem.' We have absolutely no problem with that." Fifa confirmed Iran's training base will be at Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana, Mexico. Iran will kick off its campaign against New Zealand on June 15, before facing Belgium six days later, with both games being held in Los Angeles. The Iranian team will play its third match in Seattle against Egypt on June 26. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
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