Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has spoken out sharply against the decision to bar Somali referee Omar Artan from entering the United States, where he had been selected to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Artan flew from Istanbul to Miami, only to be turned away at the border. FIFA subsequently confirmed that Artan — the sole Somali official named in the tournament's final referee list — had been stopped upon arrival.

Eleven hours at the airport

According to the New York Times, Artan spent 11 hours being interviewed at Miami International Airport, where he was questioned about his politics and his reasons for travelling to the United States.