Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate Super Cup after missing World Cup spot

Thursday June 11, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, barred from officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry to the United States, has now been handed one of UEFA’s top assignments: the Super Cup in August, the confederation announced.

Artan is set to referee the Aug. 12 showdown in Salzburg between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa, UEFA said.

“Referee announced for 2026 #SuperCup! We’re pleased to share that Somali referee Omar Artan will officiate the highly anticipated match between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg,” UEFA said in a Facebook post.

The appointment comes after talks between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football, following the 34-year-old official’s refusal of entry at Miami International Airport despite his having a valid travel visa.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said the move was meant both to acknowledge Artan’s talent and to express support after he was forced to miss the World Cup.

“Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills, which had earned him such a prestigious nomination,” Ceferin said. “I am grateful to my friend CAF President Patrice Motsepe for supporting enthusiastically our initiative.”

Motsepe said Artan had brought pride to Africa and called the assignment an honor for the continent’s referees.

“This is a great honour for Omar Artan and for African referees and is also an excellent example of football bringing together and uniting people from Africa and Europe and worldwide,” Motsepe said.

Artan had been poised to become the first Somali referee to work at a FIFA World Cup after making FIFA’s final list of match officials for the tournament staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

His selection was hailed in Somalia as a landmark moment and as a beacon for young athletes in a nation still grappling with the legacy of decades of conflict and instability.

Artan became a FIFA referee in 2018 and later broke new ground as the first Somali official to work at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he handled the group-stage match between Tunisia and Namibia in January 2024.

In May, he took charge of the decisive second leg of the African Champions League final in Morocco, one of the continent’s premier club fixtures.

He was named Africa’s best male referee in 2025 and is widely considered among the continent’s leading match officials.

After returning to Mogadishu following the U.S. entry denial, Artan said he still hoped to referee at a future World Cup and urged Somali youth to remain proud of their country.