The White House provides new details on the expulsion of the Somali referee: 'He was talking to some very bad people'

Andrew Giuliani, director of the White House task force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, provided further details regarding the expulsion of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan. Speaking with CBS News, Giuliani stated that the referee "was talking to some very bad people."

Artan, who held a valid visa after being selected by FIFA to officiate matches in the tournament, was sent back to his country after authorities denied him entry to the United States upon his arrival at the Miami airport. Without initially providing further details, the White House justified the decision by citing national security concerns.

It was in this context that Giuliani made his statements; his task force’s primary objective is to coordinate the federal government’s security and planning for the tournament. In an interview with CBS News, he stated that Artan had been in contact with “some very bad people” and did so “immediately before” attempting to enter the United States.

"There’s some classified information we can’t discuss now. At some point, that may be released," he added.

In addition, the son of the former mayor, Rudy Giuliani, was asked specifically about the situation regarding the Iranian national soccer team. Although both the players and the coaching staff entered the country without any problems, some officials, executives, and support staff from the Iranian federation were denied entry or had trouble obtaining entry authorization.

"The president wants to make sure that we're talking about what actually happens on the pitch. A lot of that is making sure that things are safe and secure, not just around the stadiums, but around base camps and training sites. We are very happy with the way things have gone so far with that team, and we'll continue to keep a very, very close eye on monitoring," Giuliani continued.

"Secretary Marco Rubio made it very clear. Anybody with direct ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is not coming in The United States Of America, and they're not gonna let the world cup be the reason why they can come in. So, I think it's very clear why,” he concluded.