Somali Referee Omar Artan to Officiate UEFA Super Cup

Charlie Zschau Published: 9 hours ago

Omar Artan's name has been in the news after being denied entry into the United States for the 2026 World Cup, but FIFA has confirmed that the referee will officiate the UEFA Super Cup.

Omar Artan, 34, was the recipient of the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) Referee of the Year award in 2025, and was selected to be a part of the 2026 World Cup officiating team before being barred entry into the United States.

Artan returned to Somali after the incident, and received a hero's welcome as if he himself had won the World Cup.

FIFA could not overrule the U.S. government on this issue, so Artan's dream of participating in the World Cup will not come true in 2026. UEFA instead has taken action by selecting him as the head official for the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa on Aug. 12.

UEFA stated that "Following discussions with it's sister confederation, CAF, UEFA has today appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup... 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."