An exceptional honor after the American intransigence.. UEFA compensates the rules of Somalia with an expensive gift.

The European Football Association (UEFA) has announced the appointment of Somali referee Omar Artani to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup match between PSG and Aston Villa, a move that is particularly significant after the African referee was denied entry to the 2026 World Cup due to a lack of US entry.

Artane, despite his relatively young age, is considered one of the most prominent emerging referees on the international scene, having joined the Fédération Internationale de Football Associations (FIFA) international roster since 2018 and officiated a number of major matches on the African continent, including the second leg of the African Champions League final for the 2025-2020 season.

The Somali referee was also crowned the 2025 African Referee of the Year by the Confederation of African Football in recognition of his outstanding performances in recent years.

FIFA had shortlisted Artan as referees for the 2026 World Cup, but he was unable to join the tournament after he failed to gain entry to the US due to his links to terrorist groups, sparking widespread controversy ahead of the tournament.

FIFA surrendered to the American decision, while the president of the international federation, Gianni Infantino, said that he cannot control governments.

UEFA, for its part, explained that the decision to entrust Artan with the management of the European Super Cup was made in the framework of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the European Union and the Confederation of African Football, which aims to develop cooperation between the two sides in a number of areas, including the development of refereeing and the exchange of experience.

For his part, UEFA president Alexander Ceferin praised the Somali referee, stressing that he has a lot of experience despite his young age and has stood out in the African Union’s top tournaments.

Ceferin said: “Artan is a young and meritorious referee. He has proven his worth in the most prestigious tournaments of the Confederation of African Football. “Football brings people together and with this appointment we confirm our respect for him and his refereeing abilities, which made him worthy of this high mission.”

The UEFA president also thanked the president of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, for supporting the initiative and cooperation between the two institutions in this matter.