Africa's best football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has become a global celebrity — not for the World Cup matches he was set to officiate, but for one journey he was never allowed to complete.

The US, one of the co-hosts of the FIFA World Cup, denied the Somali referee entry.

This locked him out of the 2026 World Cup taking place from 11 June to 19 July across Canada, Mexico and the US.

However, what began as a rejection has now become a symbol of unmatched global solidarity. For Somalia, it reinforces national pride.

Some say the young referee has already stolen the show even before the matches began.

When he landed back home on Wednesday 10 June, Somalia answered in the loudest way possible.

From airport to streets and the stadium in Mogadishu, thousands welcomed the "hero" like a champion bringing a coveted trophy home.

Artan said officiating at a World Cup is his "biggest dream" in life. And Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre reassured him that the dream might "have been delayed", but never "diminished".

FIFA has been widely criticised for not doing enough to defend Artan.

But its President Gianni Infantino said that, as much as the world’s football governing body always tries to "find solutions", it does not have power over entry to a host country. He added that FIFA officials are "not the kings of the world".

The support for Artan comes even from outside the core football circle. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said keeping Artan off the pitch does not change the "milestone" he has achieved, including reaching World Cup level.

The International Federation for Sports Officials warned that football's global vision is hard to celebrate when selected officials cannot even reach tournament venues. It said "without referees, there is no competition".

The reason for the outrage is obvious. Artan’s pedigree is undeniably high. His travel documents were intact: a valid visa, a diplomatic passport and FIFA credentials. Yet he was turned back at Miami International Airport on claims of "vetting concerns".

Born in Mogadishu on 6 June 1992, Artan started out blowing the whistle in Somalia’s leagues and became a FIFA-listed referee in 2018.

He was the first Somali referee to oversee a CAF Champions League final, officiated at AFCON 2025, and was named Africa’s Men’s Referee of the Year for 2025 by CAF.