Omar Artan: UEFA Reward Somali Referee With Big Role After Missing Out on 2026 World Cup
- UEFA has appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup after he missed the FIFA World Cup
- Artan was unable to take part in the World Cup after being denied entry into the United States
- UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and CAF president Patrice Motsepe praised the 34-year-old official
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has received a major boost from UEFA after missing the chance to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The 34-year-old had been selected by FIFA among the 52 match officials for the tournament, but his World Cup dream came to an abrupt end after he was denied entry into the United States.
Source: Getty Images
However, European football's governing body has now handed the highly-rated African referee another prestigious assignment.
In a statement released on Thursday, UEFA confirmed that Artan will take charge of the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa.
The match is scheduled to take place on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria.
UEFA rewards Artan after World Cup disappointment
According to UEFA, Artan's appointment followed discussions with CAF under the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation between both confederations.
The governing body described the Somali official as one of the world's leading young referees.
The statement read:
"Top African referee Omar Artan to officiate 2026 UEFA Super Cup after being unable to participate in FIFA World Cup 2026."
"Despite his young age, Artan has established himself as one of the world's top referees and has been on the FIFA international list since 2018."
The governing body also pointed to his performances in major African competitions, including the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final.
Artan was named CAF Men's Referee of the Year in 2025 in recognition of his impressive performances.
Čeferin praises Somali official
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin hailed the referee and explained the reason behind the decision.
"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."
"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."
"I am grateful to my friend CAF President Patrice Motsepe for supporting enthusiastically our initiative."
Source: Getty Images
Motsepe celebrates Artan's achievement
CAF president Patrice Motsepe described the appointment as a proud moment for Somalia and Africa.
"Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African Continent, extremely proud."
"His receipt of the CAF Men's Referee of the Year Award 2025 and his appointment as a referee of the FIFA World Cup 2026 are a recognition of his world-class refereeing ability and the international respect that he enjoys."
"I am very thankful to my friend, Aleksander Čeferin for enabling Omar Artan to officiate the UEFA Super Cup 2026 match."
"This is a great honour for Omar Artan and for African referees and is also an excellent example of football, bringing together and uniting people from Africa and Europe and worldwide."
Why Artan missed the World Cup
Artan had travelled to Miami for the pre-tournament camp for referees after obtaining the necessary documents and FIFA accreditation.
However, he revealed to the New York Times that he underwent an immigration interview lasting more than 11 hours before being detained and eventually returned to Istanbul, Turkey.
A senior White House official stated that the referee had been denied entry after authorities discovered "derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations."
The official added:
"President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country — full stop."
Neither the White House nor border authorities publicly disclosed the exact nature of the alleged connections or identified any specific organisation.
Speaking to BBC World Service, Andrew Giuliani, who heads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, defended the decision.
"While I can't go into the derog information on that, I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision."
Because FIFA based all World Cup officials in Florida for training and security purposes, Artan was unable to officiate matches elsewhere in Canada or Mexico.
US government issues warning to social media influencers
Legit.ng previously reported that the United States government warned foreign influencers against earning money through online content while visiting the country on tourist visas.
US Customs and Border Protection said visitors who monetise content on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Facebook could face deportation if found to be violating visa regulations.
Source: Legit.ng
