Somali football referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan
Somali referee, Omar Artan will make history on Wednesday when he takes charge of the UEFA Super Cup clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria.
Artan will become the first non-European referee to officiate the UEFA Super Cup, handing him a place in the history of a competition that brings together the winners of Europe’s two major club competitions.
The 34-year-old’s appointment comes at a particularly interesting time in his career, having missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup after he was denied entry into the United States despite being selected among the tournament’s match officials.
Rather than allowing that setback to define his year, Artan now finds himself with another major assignment, this time on a European stage.
The Somali official has steadily built a reputation as one of Africa’s leading referees.
He became the first Somali to officiate a CAF Champions League final and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025.
His Super Cup appointment is also significant for African refereeing, coming amid closer cooperation between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football.
The opportunity gives Artan a chance to showcase African officiating on a major European night while also opening the door for more African referees to gain exposure at the highest level.
He will not be the only African official involved in the match, with Djibouti’s Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed and Kenya’s Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe serving as assistant referees.
For Artan, however, the spotlight will be firmly on him.
Just weeks after missing the chance to officiate at the World Cup, he now has the opportunity to write his name into UEFA Super Cup history.
When he walks onto the pitch in Salzburg, Artan will not only be representing Somalia. He will be the first referee from outside Europe to take charge of the fixture.
