In a major show of solidarity, UEFA has officially appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to oversee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup clash in Salzburg, Austria, on August 12. The high-profile assignment between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa comes just days after the 34-year-old was controversially blocked from entering the United States for the FIFA World Cup.
The selection makes Artan the first-ever African official appointed to referee a UEFA Super Cup final. According to European football’s governing body, the historic move was finalized under a newly established Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) aimed at fostering cross-continental cooperation and promoting non-discrimination.
The prestigious appointment serves as a massive career rebound for Artan, who found himself at the epicenter of an international border dispute last week. Set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, Artan arrived at Miami International Airport with a valid travel visa and official FIFA accreditation.
However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials flagged the official, subjecting him to a grueling 11-hour interrogation before detaining him and placing him on a deporting flight back to Turkey. U.S. authorities later cited “vetting concerns” and alleged associations with suspected members of terror organizations under the Immigration and Nationality Act claims Artan has staunchly denied.
The incident triggered sharp international backlash and public criticism of FIFA’s handling of the situation. FIFA President Gianni Infantino later defended the governing body’s position, stating they were ultimately powerless to overrule sovereign border security forces and U.S. immigration policy.
Africa rallies behind continent’s top official
Despite the World Cup heartbreak, Artan returned to a hero’s welcome in Mogadishu, with thousands of fans and Somali government representatives gathering to celebrate his achievements.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe strongly backed UEFA’s intervention, praising the joint initiative for championing fairness on the global stage.
