U.S. Defends Visa Ban on Somali Referee Ahead of World Cup

White House Task Force Executive Director Andrew Giuliani has defended the decision to deny visas to a Somali referee and some Iranian team support staff ahead of the FIFA World Cup in the United States.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington, Giuliani said no players or coaches from participating teams had been denied entry, but insisted that some officials were refused visas for security reasons.

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

Giuliani said U.S. authorities are working to balance hosting a successful tournament with preventing individuals deemed security risks from entering the country.

“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,” he said.

The White House official was responding to questions about Somali referee Omar Artan, who was reportedly denied entry at Miami airport. Artan, named the Confederation of African Football's Men's Referee of the Year in 2025, would have become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup.

“While I can't go into the details, what I can tell you, high level, is it was for a very good reason,” Giuliani said.

Somalia is among the countries affected by travel restrictions introduced by President Donald Trump's administration as part of a broader immigration policy.

Giuliani also addressed concerns raised by Iran's football federation, which said some support staff were denied visas and that its allocation of supporter tickets had been withdrawn.

He maintained that all Iranian coaches would be allowed into the United States but said some officials would not.

“There are some Iranian officials that are not coming in, again for very good reason,” he said, adding that authorities are ensuring individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps do not gain entry.

The White House envoy said there are currently no credible threats to the World Cup but noted that U.S. intelligence agencies are closely monitoring security developments ahead of the tournament's conclusion on July 19.