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WORLD CUP 2026
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The US-vetoed Somali judge will lead the European Supercup

Omar Abdulkadir Artan will lead the competition between PSG and Aston Villa, having been denied participation in the World Cup.

MOGADISHU (Somalia), 10/06/2026.- FIFA referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan (L) attends a press conference after arriving in Mogadishu, Somalia, 10 June 2026. Artan was given a hero's welcome after US authorities denied him entry to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Mundial de Fútbol, Mogadiscio) EFE/EPA/SAID YUSUF WARSAME
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will play the European Supercup. Photo: EFE.

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will lead the European Supercup final between the PSG and the Aston Vilaon August 12 in Salzburg, Austria. Last week, when he was due to participate in the World Cup, he was denied entry to the United States.

"Football unites people, and UEFA wishes to express its respect for Omar and the excellent arbitral work he does," Aleksander Ceferin , president of the European Football Federation, said in a statement justifying Artan's appointment, taking advantage of the partnership agreement between UEFA and the African Football Confederation (CAF).

According to the European body, Artan is "one of the best referees in the world" after recalling that he has been on the FIFA international list since 2018, and among the most prominent matches he has led is the return of the CAF Champions League final of the recently concluded season.

After being denied entry to Miami, United States, the first Somali referee to participate in a football World Cup returned to his country, where he was welcomed as a hero last Wednesday in the capital, Mogadishu.

 

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