Overview:
Artan, 34-year-old is regarded as one of the finest match officials in the world and officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations and the decisive leg of the CAF Champions League final between Mamelodi Sundowns and FAR Rabat.
When one door closes, another opens. That is exactly what has happened with Somalian referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan who was barred from entering United States despite being on the list of officials to officiate the 2026 World Cup.
Africa’s referee of the year Artan has now been appointed by the UEFA to officiate the highly anticipated clash between European champions PSG and Premier League’s Aston Villa, the Uefa Europa League winners.
“Following discussions with its sister confederation, Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), UEFA has today appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, which will take place on 12 August in Salzburg between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa FC,” read a statement on the UEFA website.
Artan, 34-year-old is regarded as one of the finest match officials in the world and officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations and the decisive leg of the CAF Champions League final between Mamelodi Sundowns and FAR Rabat.
Artan had been included by FIFA in the match officials’ list for the FIFA World Cup 2026 but could not participate as he was not allowed to enter the United States.
The appointment of Artan comes following a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) recently signed between UEFA and CAF to encourage cooperation in many areas, including refereeing.
UEFA and CAF are united by a shared commitment to developing football at all levels and promoting the core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination.
Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president, said: “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.”
Dr Patrice Motsepe, CAF president, said: “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.”
