Omar Artan: Somali referee gets UEFA Super Cup chance after World Cup setback

Somali referee Omar Artan will take charge of Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, only weeks after being denied the chance to officiate at the 2026 World Cup. The 34-year-old’s appointment gives him a prominent return to the spotlight and marks his first assignment on the European stage.

Artan had been among the referees selected to work at the 2026 World Cup. However, his involvement ended before the tournament had even begun when US authorities refused him entry into the country after he arrived in Miami.

The decision was linked to accusations that Artan has contested. It meant the Somali official was unable to take part in the biggest event of his career, prompting widespread reaction in Somalia.

He has now been given a major opportunity to return to the centre of the football world. UEFA’s decision to appoint him for the meeting between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa comes as part of the cooperation between European governing body UEFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The choice also recognises Artan’s standing as one of the leading referees in African football. In 2024, he became the first Somali referee to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations, a landmark achievement in his career.

Wednesday’s match will introduce Artan to a new setting and a fixture watched around the world. It will also place him at the centre of a meeting involving two high-profile clubs, Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa, in Salzburg.

For Artan, the appointment represents more than an important first on the European scene. It offers a sporting response to a year that began with a major disappointment and appeared to have closed the door on his World Cup ambitions.

Instead, his return to the biggest stages has come through the UEFA Super Cup. The match gives him another opportunity to show that he belongs among the leading officials in international football.

His selection follows a career that has already broken new ground for Somali refereeing. By becoming the first official from Somalia to work at the Africa Cup of Nations, Artan had established a place in the history of the competition and of football in his country.

The events surrounding his intended World Cup appearance then brought an abrupt interruption. After being refused entry to the United States in Miami, his route to the 2026 tournament came to an end before he could take part.

Now, with Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa meeting in Salzburg, Artan has been handed a new stage on which to continue his progress. The UEFA Super Cup appointment restores him to a global football audience and gives the 34-year-old a chance to move beyond the setback that had overshadowed his year.