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Referee Omar Artan
UEFA has appointed Omar Artan, the Somali referee who was denied entry into the United States and subsequently dropped from the 2026 World Cup officiating team, to take charge of next season’s UEFA Super Cup.
The European football governing body announced that Artan will officiate the clash between Paris Saint-Germain, winners of the UEFA Champions League, and Aston Villa F.C., champions of the UEFA Europa League.
The match is scheduled for August 12 in Salzburg.
UEFA said the appointment followed discussions with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said Artan’s “outstanding officiating skills” made him deserving of the prestigious assignment.
“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,” Čeferin said.
He added that football is meant to connect people and that UEFA’s decision reflects its respect for Artan’s abilities. Čeferin also thanked CAF President Patrice Motsepe for supporting the initiative.
Artan was among the 52 referees selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
However, after arriving at Miami International Airport, he was denied entry by U.S. authorities, who reportedly claimed he was “associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations,” making him ineligible for admission into the country.
Artan was interviewed in Miami for 11 hours by a border official and asked why he had travelled to the U.S., while being pressed on questions around Somali politics and militant groups.
Despite presenting his FIFA documentation and, allegedly, a single-entry visa, he was placed on a plane to Istanbul, away from his assigned matches.
FIFA subsequently confirmed that Artan would no longer be part of the World Cup officiating team.
Speaking to The New York Times on Tuesday, Artan said he could not understand why he was refused entry despite carrying valid travel documents.
“I am very, very disappointed. I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup,” Artan said.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa.”
On Wednesday, the Somali referee received a hero’s welcome on his return to Mogadishu, where he expressed determination to officiate at the next World Cup in 2030. (Daily Trust)
