Referee banned from the World Cup in the USA is selected to referee the UEFA Super Cup
Uefa announced this Thursday (11) that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will take charge of the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, scheduled for August 12, in Salzburg, Austria. The match brings together Paris Saint-Germain, champion of the Champions League, and Aston Villa, winner of the Europa League.
The lineup comes less than a week after Artan was barred from entering the United States, resulting in his exclusion from the 2026 World Cup refereeing panel. He would be the first Somali to referee a match at the tournament.
"We are pleased to inform you that Somali referee Omar Artan will officiate the highly anticipated match between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg," they announced.
According to the European entity, the appointment was defined after conversations with the African Football Confederation (CAF) and is part of a memorandum of understanding recently signed between the two confederations.
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 (@UEFA) June 11, 2026
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin stated that the choice is a recognition of the referee's performance in African football. "Football is made to connect people", he declared.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said Artan had made Somalia and the African continent proud.
Artan barred from the US
Artan, 34 years old, landed at Miami International Airport on June 6, on a flight from Istanbul, and was denied entry by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. Then, FIFA confirmed that he would not be able to train or play in the World Cup, played by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
A member of President Donald Trump's government told Fox News that the refusal was based on the referee's alleged association with suspected members of terrorist organizations. American authorities have not provided evidence of the allegation. Artan stated that he had a valid visa and said he believed the decision was related to his country of origin.
Elected the best male referee of 2025 by CAF, Artan has been a member of FIFA's international team since 2018 and refereed the second leg of the 2025/26 African Champions League final.
Back in Mogadishu on Wednesday (10), the referee asked young Somalis not to lose hope in the country. "What happened, happened, and it was destiny," he told reporters.
The 2026 edition will be the first UEFA Super Cup to be played in Austria.
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Source: CNN