Football: Denied the World Cup, Somali referee Omar Artan discovers the European Super Cup

Denied his dream of refereeing at the 2026 World Cup after being turned away from the United States in June, Somali Omar Artan will officiate his first match in Europe on Wednesday, invited by UEFA to referee the European Super Cup final between Paris SG and Aston Villa.

Even before the World Cup began, the 34-year-old referee had unwittingly been thrust into the media spotlight after being turned away upon arrival at Miami International Airport, despite being part of the panel of referees selected by FIFA for the tournament.

"It has been a very difficult period," Omar Artan acknowledged in an interview published on the UEFA website. "Many people have expressed their sympathy to me, because when you have worked for many years to achieve a project and you ultimately cannot do it, it is very trying."

The US State Department then justified this refusal by explaining that the referee was "linked to people suspected of belonging to terrorist organizations", which "made the traveler ineligible for entry" into the United States.

The accusations were rejected by the referee and had caused outrage in Somalia, where Omar Artan had been welcomed back as a hero.

"What happened to him is unfortunate, but we don't control everything," FIFA boss Gianni Infantino simply stated.

In response, UEFA, the body that manages European football, announced that Omar Artan would referee the European Super Cup, which pits the winner of the Champions League (PSG) against the winner of the Europa League (Aston Villa).

"I was lucky, but I worked very hard to get here and I'm really proud of it," Omar Artan told UEFA.

The first Somali to officiate at an Africa Cup of Nations in 2024, Omar Artan will referee his first match in Europe. "Experiencing adventures, creating memories and learning new things is always fantastic," says the referee, who has one piece of advice: "Never stop dreaming."

To justify the decision to appoint Artan as referee for the Super Cup, UEFA highlighted its protocol signed at the end of April with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to encourage cooperation between the two confederations.

But it is also a political gesture by UEFA, which is regularly critical of FIFA, and which takes on an even stronger significance with the conflict opposing the European body to Infantino for the past two weeks, over the aborted plan to open the world body to private investors.

This failure is largely due to the rebellion led by UEFA, which continues to threaten a boycott of tournaments, including the World Cups, in an attempt to force the FIFA boss to leave.