White House defends Somalia referee, Iran staff visa bans

Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, defended the decision to deny visas to a Somali referee and some Iranian support staff, asserting that the denials were for valid security reasons.

Giuliani stated that while 35 teams have arrived in the United States without issue, some officials were denied entry. He specifically addressed the case of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was reportedly denied entry due to alleged associations with individuals suspected of belonging to terrorist organizations. "We are looking for a balance between ensuring that any bad actors who are… trying to get into this country under the guise of the World Cup will not gain access to the United States," Giuliani explained at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council.

Artan, recognized as the African Football Confederation's referee of the year in 2025, was set to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup but was sent back from Miami airport. Somalia is among several nations on a travel ban list implemented by the Trump administration as part of broader immigration measures.

The Iranian team also encountered visa-related difficulties, including the cancellation of ticket allocations for their supporters and denials for some support staff. Due to ongoing military conflict with the United States, Iran was compelled to relocate its training base to Mexico. Giuliani confirmed that all Iranian coaching staff would be permitted entry, but reiterated that certain Iranian officials would be denied visas for "very good reasons," without elaborating further, suggesting some individuals claiming to be coaches might not be legitimate.