Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate Super Cup after being denied World Cup spot
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the US for the World Cup, has been appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa on 12 August in Salzburg.
- UEFA made the decision after consultations with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), highlighting Artan's experience and skills as a top-level referee.
- UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin praised Artan's officiating abilities and emphasized football's role in connecting people, thanking CAF president Patrice Motsepe for supporting the appointment.
- Artan, named CAF men's referee of the year for 2025 and a FIFA-listed official since 2018, was set to be the first Somali referee at the World Cup but was denied US entry due to alleged associations with suspected terror members.
- The US government cited Artan's connections as the reason for refusal, linked to travel bans from certain countries, resulting in FIFA confirming he would miss the World Cup tournament.