Somalian referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup. This comes just days after he couldn't take part in the FIFA World Cup in the United States.
UEFA announced on Thursday that Artan will lead the season-opening match between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa. The match is set for 12 August in Salzburg, Austria.
This appointment follows discussions between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It shows how much Artan is respected as one of the top referees in the world.
Artan has been on FIFA’s list of international referees since 2018. He won the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year award in 2025 after several strong performances across the continent. One of his most notable matches was the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final.
He was also among the 52 officials chosen by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. But his opportunity was cut short when US authorities denied him entry into the country. Artan had gone to Miami for a pre-World Cup training camp when immigration officials stopped him and sent him back.
The Athletic reported that the White House stated this decision came after a thorough check by border officials upon his arrival. A senior administration official told The Athletic, "Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered making the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)."
The official continued, "The traveler was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA. President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country, full stop."
Artan, on his part, insisted he followed all travel rules. In an interview with The New York Times, he said he had "the right papers" and "the right visa" before heading to the United States.
Reports say he faced questioning for over 11 hours at Miami International Airport before being sent back to Istanbul, Turkey, where his journey had started. This incident caught international attention and raised diplomatic concerns in Somalia. The Somali government called Artan “Somalia’s most accomplished sporting figure and a source of immense national pride.”
Now, UEFA has given this highly-rated referee another major chance. The European football governing body explained that this appointment aligns with a recent agreement made between UEFA and CAF to boost cooperation in various areas, including refereeing.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin praised Artan’s skills. He called the decision a sign of football’s power to unite. Čeferin 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. 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."
CAF President Patrice Motsepe also welcomed this news. He said, "Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African Continent extremely proud. 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. I am very thankful to my friend, Aleksander Čeferin for enabling Omar Artan to officiate the UEFA Super Cup 2026 match. 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."
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