White House defends World Cup visa bans for Somali referee, Iranian staff

Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, defended the administration's decision to deny entry to a Somali referee and certain Iranian team support staff. Giuliani stated that while 35 teams have successfully entered the United States without issue, some officials have been denied visas for "good reason." He emphasized the administration's effort to balance welcoming participants with preventing "bad actors" from entering the country under the guise of the World Cup.

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To this point we’ve had 35 teams that have come into the United States. No players, no coaches have been denied. There have been some officials that have been denied, and for good reason.

Giuliani specifically addressed the case of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was set to become the first from his country to officiate at a World Cup. Although Giuliani could not disclose specific details, he assured that the decision was made "for a very good reason." Artan, recognized as the Confederation of African Football's men's referee of the year in 2025, was reportedly turned back at Miami airport. Somalia is among several nations subject to a travel ban implemented under the Trump administration's immigration policies.

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We’re striking that balance between making sure that any bad actors that…try to come into the country under the guise of the World Cup will not get access to the United States.

Iran also faced challenges, with its football federation reporting revoked ticket allocations for supporters and visa denials for some support staff. Giuliani clarified that while all Iranian coaching staff were granted entry, certain Iranian officials were denied visas, again citing "very good reason." He suggested that some individuals claiming to be coaches might not be, hinting at potential security or vetting concerns. The task force aims to ensure a "level playing field" for all teams while maintaining national security.

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While I can’t go into the details, what I can tell you, high level, is it was for a very good reason.