High-profile Somali referee Omar Artan has publicly broken his silence and firmly dened a series of viral posts circulating on social media that claim he launched a digital attack against the United States government.
The controversy erupted shortly after the Confederation of African Football’s 2025 Referee of the Year was denied entry into the United States by Customs and Border Protection officials ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where he was historically slated to become the first-ever Somali official to referee at the tournament.
In the wake of his highly publicized deportation from Miami International Airport, several inflammatory remarks targeting American authorities began spreading rapidly on X, under profiles bearing his name and likeness.
Somali referee Omar Artan denies attacking US government
Taking to his official, verified Facebook account to set the record straight, Artan vehemently distanced himself from the statements and clarified that he does not even possess an account on the platform where the vitriol originated.
The top-tier match official expressed deep disgust at the fabricated comments being attributed to him during what has already been an incredibly challenging week for his sporting career.
He emphasized that any digital profile claiming to represent him across any social media landscape must carry official verification tags to be considered authentic.
“ I never had an X or formerly known as Twitter account in my life,” Artan declared in his official statement.
“Any account on X does not represent me. My accounts are always verified, and any unverified accounts you see on any platform do not represent me. And I also saw statements made on this account which I disgust and of course do not represent me. Thank you.”
ALSO READ Somali referee Omar Artan denied entry to US, axed from World Cup duties
The referee’s public denial comes at a time of intense national and international focus on his situation, following his arrival back in Mogadishu where he was greeted with a massive hero’s welcome by thousands of passionate Somali football fans and government dignitaries.
While the Trump administration has defended its restrictive border decision by vaguely citing vetting concerns and alleged associations, political leaders and human rights advocates worldwide have openly condemned the exclusion as a major setback for inclusivity in global sports.
READ MORE African Teams at World Cup 2026
