Omar Artan officially appointed to referee UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa | OneFootball

Somalia's Omar Artan, recently barred from the World Cup, has been appointed to referee the UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa.

The match takes place on 12 August in Salzburg, Austria. According to L'Équipe, his selection sits within a Memorandum of Understanding with the Confederation of African Football to deepen cooperation, including on refereeing.

Artan, named Africa's best referee in 2025, was chosen both through that framework and for his international standing.

The United States, a World Cup co-host, recently refused him entry, citing alleged links to terrorist organisations. Although selected for the tournament, he was expelled and returned to Somalia, where he was greeted as a hero.

Against that backdrop, the timing reads as a pointed message to FIFA and the 2026 organisers. It is hard not to view the appointment as another chapter in the running dispute between Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin.

Source: L'Équipe