Omar Artan was named among match officials for 2026 World Cup but will miss the tournament after US refuses him entry.Published On 11 Jun 202611 Jun 2026Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States for the World Cup, has been named to officiate UEFA’s Super Cup, European football’s governing body announced.UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin poured praise on the Somali referee in a statement released on Thursday, a few hours before global body FIFA’s flagship World Cup kicks off.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list“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,” said Ceferin.“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.”UEFA said that after talks with the African confederation, it “has today appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup” on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria, between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League winners Aston Villa.Artan’s case has been one of many incidents to taint the run-up to FIFA’s World Cup.UEFA said Artan’s appointment came in the framework of an accord between UEFA and CAF to encourage cooperation.“UEFA and CAF are united by a shared commitment to developing football at all levels and promoting the core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination,” it said.CAF President Patrice Motsepe said Artan had “made Somalia and the entire people of the African continent extremely proud”.“His receipt of the CAF men’s referee of the year award 2025 and his appointment as a referee of the FIFA World Cup 2026 are a recognition of his world-class refereeing ability and the international respect that he enjoys.” Advertisement His appointment to referee the Super Cup “is a great honour for Omar Artan and for African referees and is also an excellent example of football, br …
