UEFA Appoints Somali Referee Denied U.S. Entry to Super Cup
The appointment tests a new UEFA–CAF cooperation agreement by placing a referee barred from the United States on a high-profile European fixture.
Overview
- Omar Artan, a 2025 CAF Referee of the Year, was denied entry to the United States after being detained at Miami airport and returned to Somalia, which ended his ability to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- FIFA confirmed Artan cannot participate in World Cup refereeing activities after U.S. authorities cited national-security inadmissibility, a reason that has not been publicly detailed and remains contested in reporting.
- UEFA announced on June 11 that it has named Artan to referee the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on August 12, citing a recently signed UEFA–CAF Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation.
- UEFA framed the appointment as a gesture of respect for Artan’s credentials and a practical use of the refereeing exchange in the MoU, and some reports say he would be the first non-European to officiate the Super Cup.
- The episode highlights tensions between immigration vetting and sports governance and could prompt scrutiny of how national-security visa decisions affect officials, diplomatic ties, and future cross-confederation exchanges.