Omar Artan, the Somalian referee who was denied entry into the United States to work the 2026 World Cup, has been appointed to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.
The Super Cup, which will take place Aug. 12 at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, will feature a match between the Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain, and the Europa League winners, Aston Villa.
“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,” said UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin in a statement. “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.”
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According to a U.S. official, the 34-year-old Artan was not allowed in due to an “association with suspected members of terror organizations.” The Associated Press reported this week that U.S. Customs and Border Protection determined that Artan was to “be inadmissible due to vetting concerns.” FIFA confirmed that the 2025 best male referee in Africa would not be allowed to work the tournament and that the organization was unable to fight the ruling.
“It’s unfortunate what happened to Omar [Artan], the referee from Somalia,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said during a pre-World Cup news conference Wednesday. “But again, we don’t control everything. We tried … Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just, you know, chill, relax.”
Artan arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday and was welcomed by supporters and government officials. He said that he plans to work the 2030 World Cup.
“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” Artan said. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”
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Artan, who was set to become the first referee from Somalia to work a World Cup, said he was “very disappointed” about the decision in a statement to The Athletic. He said he had the “right papers” and visa and showed border agents documentation of his career as a FIFA referee.
