In a striking show of solidarity for a Somali official denied entry to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, European football’s governing body UEFA has named referee Omar Artan as the head official for this summer’s UEFA Super Cup between European giants Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa. The annual showpiece match, which pits the previous season’s UEFA Champions League winner against the UEFA Europa League champion, will kick off on August 12 in the Austrian city of Salzburg.
The appointment comes after collaborative talks between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with both bodies backing the nomination for the highly respected African official. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin emphasized the value of Artan’s experience and skill in an official statement announcing the decision, noting that Artan has already established a strong track record at the highest levels of CAF competition despite still being a relatively young official.
“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,” Ceferin said, adding that he appreciated enthusiastic support for the initiative from CAF president Patrice Motsepe.
Artan, who claimed the 2025 CAF Men’s Referee of the Year award and has featured on FIFA’s international referee list since 2018, was set to make history as the first Somali referee to officiate at a men’s World Cup finals when he traveled to the U.S. earlier this month. But his long-held dream of participating in the tournament was derailed when U.S. border officials in Miami turned him away, even though he held a valid diplomatic passport and approved single-entry U.S. visa.
A U.S. government official confirmed earlier this week that Artan was denied entry over unsubstantiated allegations of “association with suspected members of terror organisations.” The denial falls under a long-standing travel ban first introduced during the Trump administration that includes Somalia among the restricted countries. After consultations with U.S. authorities, FIFA confirmed Artan would be forced to withdraw from the 2026 World Cup tournament.
In comments shared with The New York Times this week, Artan pushed back against the claims made by border officials, saying he was questioned extensively about alleged links to Somali militant group Al Shabab, and denied any knowledge of or connection to the organization. He added that all his documentation was fully in order for the trip. “I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan said. “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.”
The unexpected nomination to the UEFA Super Cup marks a major show of support from European and African football governing bodies, recognizing Artan’s professional accomplishments while highlighting football’s core mission of uniting people across borders and geopolitical barriers.