Omar Artan, the Somali referee who was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup, has been appointed to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa later this summer.
The match between last season’s Champions League winner PSG and Europa League winner Aston Villa is scheduled to be held in Salzburg on August 12.
UEFA said in a statement that it had made the decision after discussions with the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
UEFA President Aleksandr Ceferin said: “Omar Artan is a young but already experienced referee who has proven his skills in the Confederation of African Football’s highest competitions.”
“Football was created to connect people and UEFA is keen to show its respect for Omar and his outstanding refereeing skills in receiving such a prestigious nomination.”
“I would like to thank my friend Caf President Patrice Motsepe for his enthusiastic support of our plans.”
Artan, the 2025 Caf Men’s Referee of the Year and a member of FIFA’s international list since 2018, was set to become the first Somali to referee a World Cup final.
But he was turned away by Miami border officials despite having a diplomatic passport and a single-entry U.S. visa.
On Wednesday, a U.S. government official said Artan was not permitted to enter the United States because of alleged “associations with suspected terrorist organizations.”
Somalia is one of several countries included in the travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump, and after speaking with U.S. authorities, FIFA said Artan would not be able to participate in the tournament.
Artan told The New York Times this week that he had been questioned by border officials about his links to the Somali militant group al-Shabaab and that he knew nothing about the group.
“I had the right documents and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan said.
“I’m just a referee trying to achieve the biggest dream of my life: playing in the World Cup.”
