Somali referee Omar Artan, the World Cup match official refused entry to the United States due to visa issues, has been appointed by UEFA to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on Aug. 12.
Artan, 34, has returned to Somalia after being denied entry to the U.S. when he landed in Miami this week to join up with the World Cup match officials based in the Florida city.
A statement by U.S. Border and Customs Protection cited “vetting concerns” for Artan’s removal from the country and FIFA President Gianni Infantino told critics to “chill and relax” when asked about FIFA’s failure to resolve the issue to enable Artan, regarded as Africa’s top referee, to enter the U.S.
Sources have told ESPN that it would be “impractical” for Artan to be based in fellow World Cup host nations Mexico or Canada due to the need for match officials to be in Miami for training and briefings.
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But with controversy still raging over Artan’s exclusion, UEFA has now appointed him to take charge of the Super Cup, the annual pre-season clash between the Champions League and Europa League winners, in Salzburg, Austria.
A UEFA statement said: “Following discussions with its sister confederation, Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), UEFA has today appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, which will take place on 12 August in Salzburg between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa FC.
“Despite his young age, Artan has established himself as one of the world’s top referees and has been on the FIFA international list since 2018. Among the most notable matches he has officiated is the second leg of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League final. In recognition of his performances, he received the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award 2025.
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“The decision to appoint Artan to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match has been made in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) recently signed between UEFA and CAF to encourage cooperation in many areas, including refereeing.
“UEFA and CAF are united by a shared commitment to developing football at all levels and promoting the core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination.”
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said: “Omar Artan is an excellent young but already experienced referee, who has proven himself at the highest competition level of the Confederation of African Football.
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“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. I am grateful to my friend CAF President Patrice Motsepe for supporting enthusiastically our initiative.”
Artan’s appointment will make him the first African official to take charge of a major UEFA final.
“Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African Continent, extremely proud,” Dr Patrice Motsepe, CAF president, said.
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“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.
“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.”
