A FIFA-selected referee from Somalia was denied entry into the United States just days before the World Cup starts, raising further questions about how US President Donald Trump’s travel restrictions will shape the upcoming tournament.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan — who was named Africa’s best male referee last year — was stopped by immigration authorities at Miami International Airport and returned to Istanbul over the weekend.

US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that Artan “was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”

However, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports told AFP that Artan had a valid US visa. Somalia is among the countries subject to strict travel restrictions under the Trump administration; Trump himself has also denigrated Somalia in public comments.

FIFA confirmed Monday that Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” adding that it “is not involved in host country immigration processes” and had been told by US authorities that his “status will not be changed at present.”

A State Department spokesperson said it is working to support visa processing for the World Cup but the administration “will not waver in upholding US law” and “adjudicates each visa application on a case-by-case basis after rigorous review.”

The developments are triggering some scrutiny on Capitol Hill, where at least one Democrat is demanding Artan’s denial be reversed.

“All legitimate World Cup participants — players, team staff, referees — should be allowed into the US for the World Cup,” Rick Larsen, D-Wash., who co-chairs the Congressional Soccer Caucus, told Semafor.

“[FIFA president] Gianni Infantino has spent years building his political capital with the President and now is the time to spend it,” Larsen said. “FIFA, the White House Task Force on the World Cup, and immigration agencies need to talk to each other and fix these problems.”