After Somali referee denied entry, Seattle organization returns World Cup tickets

Key Points:

• The African Youth Sports Academy in South King County is returning 20 free FIFA Men’s World Cup tickets in solidarity with Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the U.S. despite being selected to officiate at the tournament.
• Omar Artan, the first Somali referee chosen for a World Cup, was denied entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection due to "vetting concerns" and returned to Somalia after an 11-hour interview.
• The decision to return the tickets and for the academy’s founder Ali Abdulla to step down as a World Cup volunteer reflects the Somali community’s protest against perceived discrimination amid heightened tensions following the Trump administration’s travel ban targeting Somalia.
• Abdulla emphasized the importance of supporting the Somali community, which faces fear and hostility in the U.S., and highlighted the academy’s mission to provide a safe and positive environment for refugee youth through soccer.
• The returned tickets have been reallocated to the Somali Health Board, another local nonprofit, according to the local organizing committee.