UEFA Names Omar Artan Referee For PSG–Aston Villa Super Cup Clash
A few days after being told he will not be refereeing in the World Cup, having been turned around at the US border, Somalian referee Omar Artan has been announced by UEFA to take charge of the Super Cup clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.
Artan was selected as one of Africa’s refereeing representatives for the World Cup, but was rejected by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Miami International Airport and sent back on a return flight to Turkey.
UEFA have shown their solidarity by handing him control of a huge match at the start of next season which is the Super Cup clash in August, in Salzburg.
The European soccer governing body in a statement said, “They confirmed the news in a statement which said: “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.
“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. Among the most notable matches he has officiated is the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final.
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“The decision to appoint Artan to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match has been made in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) recently signed between UEFA and CAF to encourage cooperation in many areas, including refereeing.
UEFA president Alexander Ceferin also added: “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.
Artan is widely recognised as one of Africa’s best referees and was set to become his country’s first ever representative in a World Cup. He was named as the continent’s best official having also taken charge of two Africa Cup of Nations matches.