David GOMBE
Somali football referee Omar Artan has been appointed as the referee for the UEFA Super Cup contest between Champions League winners PSG and Europa League champions Aston Villa due on August 12th 2026 in Salzburg.
UEFA confirmed Artan’s appointment on Thursday in a statement which reads,
“We’re pleased to share that Somali referee Omar Artan will officiate the highly anticipated match between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg.”
“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.”
Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president, 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.”
Dr Patrice Motsepe, CAF president, 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.”
The development comes after Artan was denied a chance to make his World Cup debut when the United State barred him from entering.
Artan was expected to become the first Somali to officiate in a World Cup match.
US Customs and Border Protection said that, without naming him, a Somali national who arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday was deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns.
Last year, the Trump administration imposed a travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia.
A FIFA spokesperson said the organisation was “not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”.
Artan would also be unable to referee games in Mexico and Canada.
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.
