In the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa, the referee will also be in the spotlight—that much is clear even before kickoff. After all, the past few months have been extremely turbulent for Omar Artan.
Ideally, it’s best for a referee if no one is talking about him, because then he can’t have made a mistake. But that won’t be the case for Omar Artan on Wednesday night—no matter how well he officiates.
The headlines surrounding the 34-year-old referee from Somalia during the recent World Cup had very little to do with his performance. That’s because he never even had the chance to show his skills. The U.S. had denied Artan entry, citing alleged ties to the Somali Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab as the reason. Soccer circles insist this was an affront. And it led to “a tough time,” as Artan himself said in a UEFA interview, before thanking the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for its unwavering support.
Africa’s Referee of the Year
Because the referees’ base camp was set up in the U.S., where they were all housed, officiating matches in Canada or Mexico was ultimately out of the question. For Artan, Africa’s Referee of the Year for 2025, the World Cup was over. He won’t be able to become the first Somali World Cup referee until 2030 at the earliest.
While FIFA, under President Gianni Infantino, showed its worst side during the 2026 World Cup, UEFA—which has recently been collaborating more closely with CAF anyway—tried to make the best of a truly regrettable situation. Shortly after the final decision denying Artan entry, UEFA announced that the Somali would be the first non-European referee to officiate the UEFA Super Cup between Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League champion Aston Villa.
“Omar Artan is an outstanding young—yet already experienced—referee who has proven himself at the highest competitive level of the Confederation Africaine de Football,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin was quoted as saying in a statement at the time. “Soccer serves to bring people together, and UEFA would like to pay tribute to Omar and his outstanding refereeing skills.”
A fan of European soccer
“When I got that call, it was a truly very, very happy moment for my family and me,” reveals Artan, who doesn’t have to make any major adjustments to his intensive match preparation: “I enjoy watching European soccer anyway.”
In 2024, Artan—who also expressed his “deep gratitude” to UEFA—became the first Somali to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations, overseeing a round of 16 match between Guinea and Equatorial Guinea. In each of the following two years, he refereed a final in the African Champions League. However, the biggest match of his promising career will likely take place on Wednesday evening in Salzburg—which, fortunately, is also for sporting reasons. Just like his nomination for the World Cup.
