Somali referee Omar Artan gestures during a 2024 Africa Cup of Nations match between Mauritania and Algeria in Bouaké, Ivory Coast on Jan. 23, 2024.Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images

Somali referee who was barred from US gets selected to oversee flagship European game – POLITICO

11 Jun 2026, 13:24 by Ali Walker · POLITICO

European football’s governing body, UEFA, on Thursday announced that Somali referee Omar Artan — who was controversially barred from entering the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup — will officiate a major European match in August.

Artan has been appointed to referee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, which will take place on Aug. 12 in Salzburg between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa FC. The game serves as a season opener to the European club competitions.

U.S. authorities turned Artan back at the border in Miami earlier this week, despite his selection by FIFA to referee matches at the World Cup.