- Omar Artan appointed to officiate 2026 UEFA Super Cup final between PSG and Aston Villa.
- The follows his denied entry to the US where he was set to make history at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
- The match is scheduled to take place at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
In a major twist of football diplomacy, UEFA has officially appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final.
The high-profile appointment serves as a massive silver lining and swift redemption for the 34-year-old, coming just days after he was caught in a geopolitical storm that prematurely ended his 2026 FIFA World Cup ambitions.
Artan, widely regarded as one of the most talented match officials on the African continent, had originally been selected by FIFA to join the elite pool of referees for the tournament in North America.
However, his tournament dream turned into a nightmare at Miami International Airport, where, despite carrying full FIFA documentation, he was denied entry by United States customs officials and immediately repatriated.
The incident triggered severe backlash from football fans and administrators across Africa, casting a shadow over the tournament’s administrative framework and putting FIFA leadership on the defensive.
Artan will take charge of the highly anticipated clash between reigning UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa. The match is scheduled to take place at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
The assignment represents a historic milestone, as it is exceptionally rare for a non-European referee to be awarded the whistle for one of UEFA’s premier club competitions.
The move was made possible through a recently strengthened Memorandum of Understanding between UEFA and CAF aimed at fostering technical cooperation and referee exchange programs.
In the official statement addressing the appointment, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin strongly defended the choice by praising the Somali official’s qualifications and directly challenging the non-sporting circumstances that sidelined him.
Omar Artan appointed to officiate 2026 UEFA Super Cup
Čeferin stated, “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 proposal.”
Artan’s rapid ascension through the international refereeing ranks has been meteoric since he joined the FIFA international list in 2018.
Over the last several years, he has consistently handled high-pressure continental fixtures, culminating in his appointment as the center referee for the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final.
That stellar performance ultimately earned him the crown of 2025 CAF Men’s Referee of the Year.
