Announcement was made this Thursday; Omar Artan was prevented from entering the country on June 6 for possible links to terrorism
This Thursday (June 11, 2026) Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will take charge of the 2026 Super Cup. The match is scheduled for August 12, in Salzburg, Austria. The game will bring together , champion of the Champions League, and , winner of the Europa League.
“We are pleased to inform you that Somali referee Omar Artan will officiate the highly anticipated match between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg”said UEFA. Artan is 34 years old and has been a member of FIFA’s international team since 2018. He was elected the best male referee of 2025 by CAF. The Somali refereed the second leg of the 2025/2026 African Champions League final.
The choice was announced less than a week after Artan was prevented from entering the United States to work at the 2026 World Cup. CBP (United States Customs and Border Protection agency) denied the referee entry into the country on June 6. Artan landed at Miami International Airport on a flight from Istanbul.
The appointment was defined after conversations between UEFA and the (African Football Confederation) and is part of a memorandum of understanding recently signed between the two confederations.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin justified the decision as 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.
Refusal of entry
A member of the president’s government (Republican Party) told Fox News that the refusal was based on the referee’s possible association with suspected members of terrorist organizations.
US authorities did not present 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.
FIFA declared that Artan will not be able to train or play at . The World Cup will be played by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Artan would be the first Somali to referee a World Cup match.
