Somali Referee Omar Artan to Make History in UEFA Super Cup After World Cup Exclusion

Omar Artan will become the first non European referee to officiate the UEFA Super Cup this Wednesday in Salzburg, Austria. The 34 year old Somali official will lead the match between Paris Saint Germain and Aston Villa. His appointment follows a cooperation agreement between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to expand collaboration between the two organizations.

Artan is recognized as one of Africa's top officials. He was the first Somali to referee a CAF Champions League final and received the CAF African Referee of the Year award. He also became the first Somali to work at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024. For the upcoming Super Cup, he will be assisted by Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe of Kenya.

The appointment comes after Artan was barred from officiating at the World Cup in the United States. Despite possessing a valid visa, he was denied entry at Miami international airport. Reports on the cause of this exclusion vary by political framing. Center and center left sources attribute the incident to the rigid immigration policies and travel bans imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump. One center source specifically noted that a US government official cited alleged links to suspected terrorist organizations as the reason for the denial. A center right source framed the event as Artan being vetoed by migration policies.

Artan described the period following his exclusion as very difficult and challenging. He expressed gratitude for the global support he received and stated that he has worked hard to reach this milestone. To prepare for the match, Artan has refereed games in Somalia and the Kuwaiti Premier League while researching the tactics and behaviors of the European clubs.