Omar Artan will referee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup after he was forced to withdraw from the World Cup having been denied entry to the United States.
Artan was due to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup after being vetted and selected by FIFA as one of 52 officials for the tournament. But he was removed from the roster after being denied entry to the country at Miami International Airport by Custom and Border Protection (CBP) following a lengthy interrogation, despite holding a diplomatic passport.
He was sent back to Istanbul, and has since returned to his home country Somalia, where he received a hero’s welcome and met President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. But the 34-year-old has now been handed the opportunity to referee this year’s Super Cup, which will pit Paris Saint-Germain against Aston Villa in Salzburg on August 12.
A UEFA statement confirming the decision read: “UEFA and CAF (African Football Federation) are united by a shared commitment to developing football at all levels and promoting the core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination.”
Artan was named CAF’s referee of the year in 2025. He has previously refereed AFCON and worked at a CAF Champions League final. “Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African Continent, extremely proud,” said CAF President Patrice Motsepe. “His receipt of the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award 2025 and his appointment as a referee of the FIFA World Cup 2026 are a recognition of his world-class refereeing ability and the international respect that he enjoys.”
Motsepe’s UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin added: “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.”
