(MIAMI, FLORIDA) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection denied Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan entry at Miami International Airport on June 6, despite his having a visa, and FIFA said he will not train or officiate at the World Cup.

Artan arrived with what a Somali representative described as a valid visa. CBP still stopped him after additional screening and barred him from entering the United States.

FIFA confirmed the decision ended his World Cup role. Artan will not take part in training and will not officiate at the tournament.

The case turned on a distinction that often decides whether a traveler can pass through an airport inspection point. The State Department issues visas, while CBP decides whether a traveler is admissible at a port of entry.

That split means a visa does not itself guarantee admission to the country. CBP made the final call after inspecting Artan at the airport in Miami.

A CBP spokesperson said Artan was “determined to be inadmissible” after inspection. The agency’s wording stopped short of saying his visa was invalid.

A State Department spokesperson said the United States is “well-prepared to welcome legitimate travelers” and supports visa processing for “qualifying persons performing a necessary support role,” including referees and coaches.

Those statements left two facts standing at once. Artan had a visa, and CBP denied him entry after inspection.

FIFA’s response was direct and immediate. The governing body said he would not train or officiate at the World Cup after the airport decision.

Referees occupy a narrow but necessary place in international tournaments, where assignments, preparation sessions and travel schedules are tightly structured. FIFA’s statement placed Artan outside that process once U.S. authorities refused him admission.

The incident also put fresh attention on the difference between document issuance and border inspection. A visa is issued before travel by the State Department; admissibility is decided on arrival by CBP officers at the port of entry.

At Miami International Airport, that inspection ended Artan’s trip. CBP said he was inadmissible, and no public statement in the case said he lacked a visa.

The Somali representative’s account aligned with that distinction. The representative said Artan was traveling with a valid visa.

State Department language framed the broader U.S. position on travel tied to major international events. The department said it supports visa processing for people who qualify and who perform necessary support roles, naming referees and coaches among them.

CBP’s statement addressed the narrower question at the airport. It said Artan was “determined to be inadmissible” after inspection.

Those are separate functions carried out by separate agencies. One agency issues travel documents overseas; the other decides whether a traveler may enter after landing in the United States.

Artan’s case drew notice because the World Cup depends not only on players and team delegations but also on officials who must arrive on set schedules for preparation and assignment. FIFA said he will take no part in either training or match officiating.

The date of the airport decision, June 6, fixed the timeline in public statements. By then, CBP had already completed its inspection and FIFA had already ruled out his participation.

Miami became the point where those decisions converged. The State Department had issued a visa, a Somali representative said Artan held it, and CBP denied him entry after screening at the airport.

The language used by each institution also mattered. The State Department spoke in general terms about welcoming legitimate travelers and processing visas for qualifying support personnel, while CBP addressed Artan’s case with a finding of inadmissibility after inspection.

Neither statement publicly described a World Cup disciplinary issue by FIFA. The governing body’s action, as described publicly, followed the U.S. entry decision and addressed only his ability to train or officiate.

At the center of the case is a common but often misunderstood point in U.S. immigration practice. A visa allows a person to travel to a U.S. port of entry and seek admission; it does not remove CBP’s authority to decide whether that traveler will be admitted.

That is the framework in which Artan’s trip ended in Miami. He reached the airport with a visa, underwent inspection, and CBP denied him entry.

FIFA then confirmed the practical effect on the tournament. Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not train, and he will not officiate at the World Cup.