Somali referee denied entry to US for FIFA World Cup will officiate UEFA Super Cup tonight

Omar Artan is set to return to the big stage on Wednesday evening when he takes charge of the UEFA Super Cup match between PSG and Aston Villa.

Artan made headlines earlier this summer when he was due to officiate at the 2026 World Cup, but was denied entry to the USA.

Had he taken part in the tournament, he would have become the first Somali to referee at the World Cup finals.

Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images

FIFA released a statement at the time, explaining the issue. It read: “Fifa can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.

“Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

“In line with previous Fifa events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

Now, it has been confirmed that Artan will be the referee for tonight’s UEFA Super Cup match.

The Super Cup sees the winner of the Champions League and the winner of the Europa League from the previous season face off each year.

In 2026, that means Champions League holders PSG are taking on Premier League side Aston Villa.

The game will take place at the Red Bull Arena Salzburg, and kicks off at 8pm BST.