UEFA has appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup after he was barred from entering the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Multiple reports say Artan was selected by FIFA as one of 52 match officials for the World Cup in North America, but U.S. border authorities denied him entry when he arrived at Miami International Airport. The U.S. State Department said he was associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations, which made him ineligible to enter the country, and FIFA later removed him from the World Cup officiating roster.
UEFA announced on Thursday that it is now appointing Artan to referee the Super Cup on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria. The match features Paris Saint-Germain, the Champions League winners, against Aston Villa, the Europa League winners. UEFA said the appointment follows discussions with the Confederation of African Football and is part of an agreement aimed at encouraging cooperation between the two bodies. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin praised Artan’s refereeing record, while CAF leaders also commended the appointment. The dispute concerns his World Cup access, while UEFA’s decision focuses on his selection for the Super Cup match.
