"I promise you that, God willing, I will be there next time," Omar Artan says to hundreds of flag-waving supporters at the airport.
Despite having a visa, the referee was denied entry to the United States. Somalia's Ministry of Sports tried to help Artan through diplomatic channels, but was unsuccessful. FIFA thus barred Artan from becoming the country's first World Cup referee.
US authorities said Artan was stopped due to concerns raised during a background check.
