The top soccer referee in Africa says he's devastated he won't be able to officiate in the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry into the United States last Saturday.
"am very, very disappointed," Artan told The New York Times in a telephone interview from Istanbul, Turkey, where he had been diverted after landing in the U.S.
"I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup."
Artan told The Times he flew to Miami International Airport on Saturday, June 6 − five days before the tournament's opening games. However, he was stopped by U.S. border officials, who took him into a small room and questioned him for 11 hours.