SALZBURG: Omar Artan will become the first non-European referee to oversee the UEFA Super Cup when Paris Saint-Germain face Aston Villa in Salzburg on Wednesday.
The Somali official will take charge at Stadion Salzburg at 9 p.m. local time. PSG enter as UEFA Champions League holders, while Villa won the UEFA Europa League.
The match will also mark Artan’s first refereeing assignment in Europe. The 34-year-old described the appointment as a proud moment after US authorities denied him entry for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“It was a very tough period,” Artan told UEFA. However, he thanked supporters worldwide and said the Super Cup call brought great happiness to his family.
FIFA had selected Artan for its World Cup match officials’ panel. US authorities later turned him away after he arrived at Miami International Airport in June.
A US State Department official told AFP that authorities considered Artan ineligible because of alleged associations with suspected members of terrorist organisations. Artan denied the claim, while Somalia’s government called it unfounded.
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UEFA said it appointed Artan under an April cooperation agreement with the Confederation of African Football. The deal covers several areas, including referee development.
Artan joined FIFA’s international referees list in 2018. He became the first Somali to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024 and won the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year award in 2025.
UEFA’s officiating team also includes assistants Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe of Kenya.
