"Omar Artan from Somalia being refused entry was just a blotch on the US records and it's something they can't hide from," he said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (L) and US President Donald J. Trump carry the World Cup Trophy to the podium as Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente (R) claps during the awards ceremony after the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match Spain against Argentina, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, 19 July 2026. EPA/WILL OLIVER
Professor of History at the University of Michigan, Peter Alegi, has criticised the United States over the off-the-field controversies that overshadowed the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the treatment of Somali referee Omar Artan as “a disgrace”.
The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, delivered memorable football on the pitch, but several visa-related issues dominated headlines throughout the competition.
One of the biggest controversies involved Artan, who was denied entry to the United States despite reportedly holding a valid visa. The Somali official had been set to make history as the first referee from his country to officiate at a FIFA World Cup.
However, Somalia’s inclusion on US President Donald Trump’s travel ban list meant Artan was turned away at Miami International Airport, bringing his World Cup dream to an abrupt end.
Speaking on Radio 2000, Alegi did not mince his words when asked about the treatment of CAF’s 2025 Referee of the Year.
“What a disgrace, I mean CAF referee of the year Omar Artan from Somalia being refused entry was just a blotch on the US records and it’s something they can’t hide from,” he said.
Artan was not the only person affected by the United States’ strict visa regulations during the tournament. Reports also suggested that the regulations prevented supporters from several nations from travelling to the World Cup, with fans from African countries among those most heavily impacted.
“Ivory Coast fans, Senegal fans and of course Iranian fans and fans from Haiti were all pretty much denied entry into the country in various ways,” Alegi added.
“Many fans from other African countries and beyond had to potentially put down 15 000-dollar bonds to even apply for visas. Remember the Cape Verde goalkeeper’s grandmother who couldn’t come initially because of that and these reflected extremely poor. But I have to say that Americans here are also very split.
“Many who were maybe on the fence about political matters realise this was an embarrassment for the county. Regardless of whether you stood on the side of Trump or not, this kind of discrimination was completely un-American.”
Despite the off-field controversies, the tournament concluded with Spain lifting the trophy after edging Argentina 1-0 after extra time in New Jersey on Sunday, with Ferran Torres scoring the winning goal in the final.
