Omar Artan to referee Super Cup after World Cup visa snub

In partnership with

Evening Standard

·11 de junho de 2026

Omar Artan to referee Super Cup after World Cup visa snub

Somali referee was due to work World Cup but was denied entrance to United States

Omar Artan will referee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup after he was forced to withdraw from the World Cup having been denied entry to the United States.

Vídeos OneFootball

Artan was due to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup after being vetted and selected by FIFA as one of 52 officials for the tournament.

But he was removed from the roster after being denied entry to the country at Miami International Airport by Custom and Border Protection (CBP) following a lengthy interrogation, despite holding a diplomatic passport.

He was sent back to Istanbul, and has since returned to his home country Somalia, where he received a hero’s welcome and met President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

But the 34-year-old has now been handed the opportunity to referee this year’s Super Cup, which will pit Paris Saint-Germain against Aston Villa in Salzburg on August 12.

Omar Artan received a hero’s welcome on arrival in Mogadishu

AFP via Getty Images

A UEFA statement confirming the decision read: “UEFA and CAF (African Football Federation) are united by a shared commitment to developing football at all levels and promoting the core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination.”

Artan was named CAF’s referee of the year in 2025. He has previously refereed AFCON and worked at a CAF Champions League final.

“Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African Continent, extremely proud,” said CAF President Patrice Motsepe.

“His receipt of the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award 2025 and his appointment as a referee of the FIFA World Cup 2026 are a recognition of his world-class refereeing ability and the international respect that he enjoys.”

Motsepe’s UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin added: “Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills, which had earned him such a prestigious nomination.”

Speaking to the New York Times this week, Artan insisted he had all the correct papers when he arrived at the United States border, adding that he was devastated not to be able to officiate the tournament.

He said: “I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa. I am very, very disappointed. I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream – the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”

Artan claimed to have been interrogated over links to terrorist organisation Al Shabab, but said he knows nothing about the group.

Somalia is one of various nations subject to a complete ban on travel into the United States, as instituted in June of last year.