Somali referee denied entry to US to officiate UEFA Super Cup match

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced Thursday that Somali international referee Omar Artan will officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Austria on Aug. 12.

“We’re pleased to share that Somali referee Omar Artan will officiate the highly anticipated match between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg,” UEFA said in a statement.

Artan arrived Wednesday in Mogadishu to a hero’s welcome after he was denied entry to the US to officiate at the FIFA World Cup.

“I can promise you that I will officiate at the next FIFA World Cup, and I thank FIFA and the Somali people for their support,” Artan said at a news conference after his arrival.

The Somali Football Federation called Artan’s journey “a source of pride for Somalia, CECAFA (Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations) and African football.”

The restriction by the Trump administration has sparked international uproar, with some football fans demanding a boycott of the World Cup.

Artan was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup.

He was recently named Africa’s Best Referee for 2025 at the CAF Awards in Morocco, organized by the Confederation of African Football.

A proclamation issued by US President Donald Trump on June 4, 2025, restricts the entry of Somali nationals into the country.