UEFA names Somali referee Omar Artan for PSG-Aston Villa Super Cup

Thursday June 11, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was blocked from taking part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry to the United States, has now been handed one of European football’s biggest officiating assignments: the UEFA Super Cup in August, UEFA said.

Artan will oversee the Aug. 12 meeting between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, according to the European governing body.

“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 decision comes after talks between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football following Artan’s refusal at Miami International Airport, despite his holding a valid travel visa. Artan is 34.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said the appointment was meant both to acknowledge Artan’s quality as a referee and to stand with him after he missed out on 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 a significant moment for referees across the continent.

“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 earning a place on FIFA’s final list of match officials for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

His inclusion was hailed in Somalia as a landmark moment and a powerful message for young athletes in a nation still shaped by decades of conflict and instability.

Artan became a FIFA referee in 2018 and later made history again as the first Somali official to take charge of a match at the Africa Cup of Nations, overseeing the January 2024 group-stage game between Tunisia and Namibia.

In May, he handled the decisive second leg of the African Champions League final in Morocco, among the continent’s most prestigious club fixtures.

He was named Africa’s best male referee in 2025 and is widely seen as one of the continent’s top 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 stay proud of their country.