Somali Referee Omar Artan Lands High Profile Job Days After US Denies Him Entry For FIFA World Cup, To Officiate Major UEFA Event

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry into the USA for the FIFA World Cup 2026, has been picked to officiate one of the most prestigious football matches on the planet. UEFA has confirmed that Artan has been appointed referee of the  2026 UEFA Super Cup, which will be played on 12 August in Salzburg between UEFA Champions League winners PSG and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa.

Omar Artan Was Denied An Entry Into USA For FIFA World Cup

U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that Artan was deemed inadmissible due to security-related vetting concerns and was denied entry. Later, a U.S. official spoke to the Associated Press and clarified that the refusal was linked to Artan’s alleged ties with individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist organisations.

Artan's most notable display was in the CAF Champions League final, and he was later adjudged Africa's best referee for the year 2025.

Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA president, welcomed the move with open arms. As quoted by the UEFA website, he said, “Omar Artan is an excellent young but already experienced referee, who has proven himself at the highest competition level of the Confederation of African Football. 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. I am grateful to my friend CAF President Patrice Motsepe for supporting enthusiastically our initiative.”

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Artan was interrogated by the USA authorities for 11 hours, and later he was deported back to Turkey. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also opened up on Artan being barred from participating in the World Cup. “We don’t control everything. We try. We’ll discuss, we will speak, we’ll see. Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just chill, relax,” he said. “We try to solve everything. Sometimes to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution. Believe me when I tell you, or don’t believe me if you don’t want, but we try always to find solutions, always. But then we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces.”

The FIFA World Cup 2026 opener will be played between Mexico and South Africa.