The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has appointed award-winning Somali referee, Omar Artan, to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup after he was unable to take up his role at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
UEFA announced the decision on Thursday, June 11, following consultations with the Confederation of African Football.
Artan will take charge of the UEFA Super Cup clash between Paris Saint-Germain, winners of the UEFA Champions League, and Aston Villa FC, winners of the UEFA Europa League. The match is scheduled to take place on August 12 in Salzburg.
The Somali official, who has been on FIFA’s international referees list since 2018, has earned recognition as one of Africa’s leading match officials.
Among the major fixtures he has overseen was the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final.
His performances also earned him the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award for 2025.
Although FIFA selected Artan as one of the match officials for the 2026 World Cup, he was unable to participate after reportedly being denied entry into the United States.
UEFA said his appointment forms part of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between UEFA and CAF, which seeks to strengthen cooperation in several areas of football development, including refereeing.
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UEFA President, Aleksander Čeferin, praised the Somali referee and said the appointment was intended to recognise his achievements.
“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,” Čeferin said.
CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, described the appointment as a proud moment for Somalia and the African continent.
“Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African Continent, extremely proud. His receipt of the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award 2025 and his appointment as a referee of the FIFA World Cup 2026 are a recognition of his world-class refereeing ability and the international respect that he enjoys.
“I am very thankful to my friend, Aleksander Čeferin for enabling Omar Artan to officiate the UEFA Super Cup 2026 match. This is a great honour for Omar Artan and for African referees and is also an excellent example of football, bringing together and uniting people from Africa and Europe and worldwide,” Motsepe said.
UEFA and CAF said the move reflects their shared commitment to promoting unity, equality and cooperation through football while creating more opportunities for African match officials on the global stage.