Who is Omar Artan? Super Cup referee who was refused entry into USA for World Cup

Somali referee Omar Artan will take charge of the Super Cup showdown between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on Wednesday night, two months after he was barred from entering the United States to officiate at the World Cup.

Artan, 34, was denied entry into the US due to alleged links to “suspected members of terror organisations”, which made him a “national security threat”.

A highly-regarded official who was named Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, Artan said he “the biggest dream of my life” destroyed at US border control despite him insisting he had “the correct visa”.

The decision to turn him away led to widespread outrage and criticism towards the Trump administration and Fifa for failing to deliver on promises of inclusivity at the 2026 World Cup, with Artan far from the only footballing figure to be denied entry.

Gianni Infantino then added fuel to the fire by telling a reporter to “chill, relax” when pressed over Artan’s refusal at the beginning of the World Cup, something which kickstarted a summer of scandal that would leave the Fifa president dangling by a thread.

Artan, meanwhile, received a hero’s welcome when returning to his homeland of Somalia, and days later was awarded the showpiece European clash of champions by Uefa.

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Omar Artan received a hero’s welcome upon returning to Somalia (AFP/Getty)

Uefa, who has since pledged to boycott Fifa competitions in a bid to force Infantino out after the botched World Cup sell-off scheme, cited the promotion of its “core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination” in appointing Artan as the match official.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: “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.

“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. I am grateful to my friend Caf President Patrice Motsepe for supporting enthusiastically our initiative.”

Artan was enlisted as a Fifa referee in 2018 and later became the first Somali to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations when he officiated the group fixture between Tunisia and Namibia in January 2024.

Artan will take charge of the Super Cup (AFP/Getty)

In May, he was the referee for the decisive leg of the African Champions League final in Morocco, the continent’s biggest club game.

The 2026 World Cup would have been marked his first as a referee, having officiated at the men’s U20 World Cup last year in Chile, before this opportunity was taken away at US border control.