Somali Referee Banned by US to Officiate European Super Cup
UEFA said the appointment follows talks with the Confederation of African Football and gives Artan a major final after his World Cup exclusion.
- UEFA has appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on August 12 in Salzburg, following his removal from the FIFA World Cup roster.
- Artan was denied entry to the United States earlier this week while traveling to Miami for World Cup training, as U.S. Border and Customs Protection cited "vetting concerns" regarding Somalia's travel ban status.
- Following his removal, Artan expressed he was "very, very disappointed," while UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin defended the nomination, calling Artan an "excellent young but already experienced referee."
- CAF President Patrice Motsepe praised the decision, stating "Artan's appointment will make him the first African official to take charge of a major UEFA final," making the African Continent "extremely proud."
- Sources told ESPN it would be "impractical" for Artan to be based in Mexico or Canada for the World Cup, as match officials must remain in Miami for mandatory training and briefings.
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President Ceferin designates Omar Artan for Psg-Aston Villa explaining why he chose the Somali referee who was kicked out of the United States for an alleged connection with terrorist associations
UEFA appoints Somali referee that was denied US entry over alleged terror links to officiate big game
A Somali World Cup referee who was barred from entering the United States due to an alleged "association with suspected members of terror organizations" has been appointed to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.Omar Artan was denied entry into the U.S. days before the tournament kicked off in North America by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after being flagged for "derogatory" information, a Trump administration official told Fox News Digital.…
Somali referee Artan, banned by US, to officiate UEFA Super Cup
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States for the World Cup, was on Thursday named to officiate UEFA's Super Cup, European football's governing body announced. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin poured praise on the Somali referee in a statement released a few hours before global body FIFA's flagship World Cup was to start. "Omar Artan is an excellent young but already experienced referee, who has proven himself at the …
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was unable to enter the United States for the 2026 World Cup, was appointed by UEFA as an officer at the Supercoupe d'Europe. He will be at the whistle during the match between the PSG and Aston Villa on August 12. - Repressed from the United States before the 2026 World Cup, Somali Omar Artan will arbitrate the PSG match in the Supercoupe d'Europe (Sports).
"Football unites people, and UEFA wants to show its respect for Omar," explained the European confederation. More information: Omar Artan, Africa's best referee, was interrogated 11 hours and expelled from the World Cup after being linked to terrorists.
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