A referee from Somalia has been denied entry to the United States, and as a result will no longer officiate at the World Cup. The decision removes one of the continent's most respected officials from the tournament just days before it begins. It has also drawn attention because of the standing the referee holds in African football. The case has quickly become one of the talking points in the build-up to the competition.
The official is far from an obscure name in the sport. He was named Africa's Referee of the Year for 2025, a recognition that effectively marks him as one of the very top referees on the continent. That status makes his removal from the World Cup all the more striking. For many, it underlined how unexpected the situation was.
According to the account of events, the problem arose as the referee arrived in the country. US Customs and Border Protection said there were vetting concerns as he flew in from Turkey to Miami. The authorities, however, did not expand on what those concerns specifically involved. As a result, the precise reasoning behind the refusal was left unexplained.
There is, nonetheless, a wider context to the decision. Somalia is among the countries placed on the travel ban list. That listing forms part of the backdrop against which the referee was stopped at the border. It also helps explain why an official of his standing could be turned away.
Football's world governing body has made clear it will not intervene to reverse the outcome. FIFA said the decision will not be overturned. It also stressed that it has no say in the immigration processes of a government that is in charge of hosting a World Cup. In effect, the matter was placed entirely in the hands of the authorities rather than the sport.
The episode stands in contrast to earlier assurances about the tournament. Only last year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said there were a lot of misconceptions and that everyone would be welcome in all three countries co-hosting the competition. The latest developments suggest that, in practice, this has not turned out to be the case for everyone involved.
The referee's case is not the only immigration issue to surface in the countdown to kick-off. Iran had to move its training base from the United States to Tijuana, in Mexico, over problems obtaining visas for its delegation. With the World Cup co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico and set to open within days, such cases have added to the difficulties facing organisers as the tournament approaches.