Somali football referee Omar Artan will officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria [1, 3].
The appointment comes as a significant professional recovery for Artan, who was barred from participating in the 2026 World Cup due to immigration issues.
U.S. immigration authorities denied Artan entry at Miami International Airport earlier this year [1, 5]. This denial occurred shortly before the start of the World Cup, effectively excluding him from the tournament [1, 2]. The specific reasons for the entry denial were not disclosed in the available records.
Artan now returns to the international stage for the Super Cup, which is scheduled for a Wednesday three weeks after the World Cup final [1, 4]. The match in Salzburg serves as one of the highest-profile fixtures in European football, pitting the champions of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League against one another.
Reports indicate that Artan will earn KSh 1.49 million [6] for his role in officiating the match. The appointment follows a period of professional uncertainty after the events in Miami.
Artan said he is proud of his appointment to the final [1, 2]. The match marks his first major assignment since the World Cup exclusion, placing him back in the spotlight of global football governance.
“Somali referee Omar Artan will officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup”
Artan's appointment to a high-stakes UEFA final suggests that while national immigration policies can disrupt individual careers, governing bodies like UEFA continue to value his technical officiating credentials. The contrast between his exclusion from the World Cup and his inclusion in the Super Cup highlights the volatility that visa restrictions can introduce to international sports participation.
