Somali referee Omar Artan will become the first non-European official to referee the UEFA Super Cup on August 12, 2026. The match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa will be held at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria [1, 2, 3, 4].
Artan, 34, is considered one of Africa’s top referees. He joined FIFA’s international referees list in 2018 and was the first Somali to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024. He made history as the first Somali referee to oversee a CAF Champions League final and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025 [1, 2, 4].
UEFA appointed Artan under a cooperation agreement with the Confederation of African Football signed earlier in 2026. He will be assisted by two other African referees from Djibouti and Kenya during the Super Cup match [1, 2, 3, 4].
Artan prepared for the Super Cup by refereeing league games in Somalia and the Kuwaiti Premier League while conducting in-depth research on the competing teams [3].
The appointment follows a difficult episode in June when Artan was denied entry to the United States at Miami International Airport despite holding a valid visa. Officials cited vetting concerns and alleged links to suspected terror group members as reasons for refusal. The ban prevented Artan from officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup [1, 2, 3, 4].
Artan expressed the emotional challenge of that exclusion, stating, "It was a very tough period. A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can't do it, it's very challenging" [1]. He also said, "When we got this call, it was, for me and my family, really a very, very happy moment. There's a big Somali community in Europe and in Austria, and they are over the moon with me officiating a match like this" [3].
Somalia is one of 12 countries on the United States travel ban list, which contributed to the visa issues Artan faced [1, 2, 3].
The UEFA Super Cup match is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 2026, marking a milestone for Somali and African refereeing on the European stage [1, 2, 3, 4].
