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

Omar Artan, a 34-year-old Somali referee, is set to officiate the Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on Wednesday, marking his return to Europe two months after being denied entry into the United States for the World Cup. Artan, who was reportedly barred due to suspected links with terror organizations, was deemed a "national security threat" and therefore refused entry, sparking widespread outrage.

Despite this setback, Artan has been recognized as Africa's referee of the year in 2025 and was enlisted as a Fifa referee in 2018. He became the first Somali to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations when he officiated a group fixture between Tunisia and Namibia in January 2024. Artan will also take charge of the Super Cup, a highly-regarded official who was described as "an excellent young but already experienced referee."

Omar Artan received a hero's welcome when he returned home to Somalia, with Uefa praising his promotion as a step towards fulfilling its core values of unity, equality, and non-discrimination. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin expressed his gratitude for Artan's appointment, stating that football is meant to connect people and Uefa wanted to honor Artan's outstanding officiating skills.