Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied a chance to officiate at the concluded World Cup after the US refused him entry to their country, is proud to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup between UCL winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League champions Aston Villa on Wednesday. Even before the 48-team tournament got underway in North America, the 34-year-old referee found himself in the media spotlight after being turned away upon arriving at Miami International Airport. What shocked everyone was that he was part of the referee panel that FIFA finalised for the World Cup, also co-hosted by Canada and Mexico. &nbsp;"It was a very tough period," Artan said in an interview published on the UEFA website. "A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can't do it, it's very challenging."&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-president-donald-trump-backs-fifa-chief-gianni-infantino-amid-ongoing-crisis-1786417934287">US President Donald Trump backs FIFA chief Gianni Infantino amid ongoing crisis</a> &nbsp;Per earlier reports, a US State Department official informed AFP that Artan was ‘associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations,’ therefore ‘making him ineligible for admission to the US.’ The referee, however, rejected all allegations amid widespread outrage in Somalia, where he was later welcomed as a hero on his return. &nbsp;"It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the time, adding: "We don't control everything." In response, UEFA announced that Artan would referee the UEFA Super Cup. &nbsp;"I was lucky, but I have worked very hard to be here, and I'm really proud," Artan told UEFA. "As you can imagine, I grew up in a difficult situation, but it didn't prevent me from pursuing my dreams." &nbsp;Meanwhile, Artan is not just officiating in Europe but he is making history as the first non-European referee to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup. &nbsp;"Having adventures, making memories and learning new things is always great," he added. "When we got this call, it was, for me and my family, really a very, very happy moment."&nbsp;(With inputs from AFP)

Somali referee Omar Artan speaks on his pride in officiating the UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa after his 2026 World Cup visa setback.

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied a chance to officiate at the concluded World Cup after the US refused him entry to their country, is proud to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup between UCL winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League champions Aston Villa on Wednesday. Even before the 48-team tournament got underway in North America, the 34-year-old referee found himself in the media spotlight after being turned away upon arriving at Miami International Airport. What shocked everyone was that he was part of the referee panel that FIFA finalised for the World Cup, also co-hosted by Canada and Mexico. "It was a very tough period," Artan said in an interview published on the UEFA website. "A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can't do it, it's very challenging." Also read| US President Donald Trump backs FIFA chief Gianni Infantino amid ongoing crisis Per earlier reports, a US State Department official informed AFP that Artan was ‘associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations,’ therefore ‘making him ineligible for admission to the US.’ The referee, however, rejected all allegations amid widespread outrage in Somalia, where he was later welcomed as a hero on his return. "It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the time, adding: "We don't control everything." In response, UEFA announced that Artan would referee the UEFA Super Cup. "I was lucky, but I have worked very hard to be here, and I'm really proud," Artan told UEFA. "As you can imagine, I grew up in a difficult situation, but it didn't prevent me from pursuing my dreams." Meanwhile, Artan is not just officiating in Europe but he is making history as the first non-European referee to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup. "Having adventures, making memories and learning new things is always great," he added. "When we got this call, it was, for me and my family, really a very, very happy moment." (With inputs from AFP)

Somali referee Omar Artan speaks on his pride in officiating the UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa after his 2026 World Cup visa setback.

Somali referee Omar Artan 'proud' to officiate Super Cup after World Cup snub

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry into the United States and subsequently removed from the FIFA World Cup officiating roster, has been appointed to referee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, UEFA announced on Thursday (June 11). The appointment was confirmed just hours before the start of FIFA's flagship tournament and comes after discussions between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin praised the Somali official in a statement.&nbsp;"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," said Ceferin. “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.” UEFA said Artan will officiate the UEFA Super Cup on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria, featuring UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa.&nbsp;According to UEFA, the appointment forms part of a cooperation agreement with CAF aimed at strengthening ties between the two football bodies. "UEFA and CAF are united by a shared commitment to developing football at all levels and promoting the core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination," UEFA said. CAF president Patrice Motsepe also welcomed the decision and praised Artan's achievements.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-s-son-anvay-earns-call-up-to-india-u19-squad-for-sri-lanka-tour-1781193199098">Rahul Dravid's son Anvay earns call-up to India U19 squad for Sri Lanka tour</a>&nbsp;“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.” His appointment to referee the Super Cup "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.&nbsp;The Somali Ministry of Sports said it had worked with international sporting bodies after Artan's exclusion from the World Cup generated widespread concern. "We have been in contact with a range of sporting bodies since yesterday, especially in Europe, to raise awareness of the issue and request their support," senior advisor Ciise Aden Abshir told AFP. "UEFA's decision came in response to the support we requested, and we believe it has helped uphold the principles of integrity and fair play in football."Officiating the UEFA Super Cup is a unique opportunity, and we are grateful to UEFA for its support."&nbsp;Artan was denied entry to the United States upon arrival at Miami International Airport on Saturday. A US State Department official told AFP that the referee was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations", making him ineligible for admission. FIFA later confirmed that Artan would no longer be part of the World Cup officiating team.&nbsp;His inclusion among the 52 referees selected for the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico had been celebrated across Somalia. After returning to Mogadishu on Wednesday, Artan received a hero's welcome and expressed his determination to officiate at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Somali referee Omar Artan has been appointed to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup after being denied entry to the US and removed from FIFA World Cup duties

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry into the United States and subsequently removed from the FIFA World Cup officiating roster, has been appointed to referee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, UEFA announced on Thursday (June 11). The appointment was confirmed just hours before the start of FIFA's flagship tournament and comes after discussions between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin praised the Somali official in a statement. "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," said Ceferin. “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.” UEFA said Artan will officiate the UEFA Super Cup on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria, featuring UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa. According to UEFA, the appointment forms part of a cooperation agreement with CAF aimed at strengthening ties between the two football bodies. "UEFA and CAF are united by a shared commitment to developing football at all levels and promoting the core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination," UEFA said. CAF president Patrice Motsepe also welcomed the decision and praised Artan's achievements. Also Read: Rahul Dravid's son Anvay earns call-up to India U19 squad for Sri Lanka tour “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.” His appointment to referee the Super Cup "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. The Somali Ministry of Sports said it had worked with international sporting bodies after Artan's exclusion from the World Cup generated widespread concern. "We have been in contact with a range of sporting bodies since yesterday, especially in Europe, to raise awareness of the issue and request their support," senior advisor Ciise Aden Abshir told AFP. "UEFA's decision came in response to the support we requested, and we believe it has helped uphold the principles of integrity and fair play in football. "Officiating the UEFA Super Cup is a unique opportunity, and we are grateful to UEFA for its support." Artan was denied entry to the United States upon arrival at Miami International Airport on Saturday. A US State Department official told AFP that the referee was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations", making him ineligible for admission. FIFA later confirmed that Artan would no longer be part of the World Cup officiating team. His inclusion among the 52 referees selected for the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico had been celebrated across Somalia. After returning to Mogadishu on Wednesday, Artan received a hero's welcome and expressed his determination to officiate at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Somali referee Omar Artan was appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup after being denied US entry and removed from FIFA World Cup 2026 duties

Barred from FIFA World Cup 2026, Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate in UEFA Super Cup

The deportation of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was in FIFA's list of officials for the football World Cup 2026 created a huge ruckus before the tournament. The referee was denied entry by the USA's Custom and Border Protection (CBP) after a long detention at Chicago's O'Hare airport. Notably, Somalia is one of the several countries under a blanket ban by the Trump's administration. The US, one of the co-host of the tournament along with Canada and Mexico which starts Thursday (Jun 11), said that Artan was denied entry because of links with a terror organization, but the Artan - Africa's referee of 2025 - denied having information of such nature.<h2>US reveals reason of denying entry to Somalia's Artan</h2>Speaking on the issue, US State Depatment said: "This individual was seeking admission to the United States. Upon further inspection by CBP [Custom and Border Protection], derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations, was discovered making the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)."The traveller was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA."President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country - full stop," the statement read.<h2>What did Artan said about the links with terror organization?</h2>The Somali ref confirmed to New York Times on Tuesday (Jun 9) that he was asked about his links with banned Somali militant group Al Shabab during the interrogation at the Chicago airport. Artan also said that he knew nothing about the group.Upon reaching Mogadishu, Artan spoke about support he got from the various fronts including Somali officials and FIFA but did not take question from the press."I'd like to thank the officials, ministers, MPs and everyone. I want to thank my country and people for their support. The encouragement I received here, I know I'll get more support outside [the airport]," Artan said as translated by the BBC."Everything is pre-destined. FIFA supported me well and were in touch with me until I reached Mogadishu. I promise you that I'll be officiating you in the next World Cup. Somalia, everywhere, I'm letting you know."<h2>How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India</h2>You can watch FIFA 2026 on Zee’s new Unite8 Sports network (Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD). Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across the four channels with English and Hindi feeds. All games will also be streamed live on the Zee5 app and website.Link: https://www.zee5.com/ &nbsp;

Artan - Africa's referee of 2025 - was denied entry into the US after a long interrogation at Chicago airport and was susbesquently dropped from FIFA's list of officials for football World Cup 2026.

The deportation of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was in FIFA's list of officials for the football World Cup 2026 created a huge ruckus before the tournament. The referee was denied entry by the USA's Custom and Border Protection (CBP) after a long detention at Chicago's O'Hare airport. Notably, Somalia is one of the several countries under a blanket ban by the Trump's administration. The US, one of the co-host of the tournament along with Canada and Mexico which starts Thursday (Jun 11), said that Artan was denied entry because of links with a terror organization, but the Artan - Africa's referee of 2025 - denied having information of such nature. US reveals reason of denying entry to Somalia's Artan Speaking on the issue, US State Depatment said: "This individual was seeking admission to the United States. Upon further inspection by CBP [Custom and Border Protection], derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations, was discovered making the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). "The traveller was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA. "President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country - full stop," the statement read. What did Artan said about the links with terror organization? The Somali ref confirmed to New York Times on Tuesday (Jun 9) that he was asked about his links with banned Somali militant group Al Shabab during the interrogation at the Chicago airport. Artan also said that he knew nothing about the group. Upon reaching Mogadishu, Artan spoke about support he got from the various fronts including Somali officials and FIFA but did not take question from the press. "I'd like to thank the officials, ministers, MPs and everyone. I want to thank my country and people for their support. The encouragement I received here, I know I'll get more support outside [the airport]," Artan said as translated by the BBC. "Everything is pre-destined. FIFA supported me well and were in touch with me until I reached Mogadishu. I promise you that I'll be officiating you in the next World Cup. Somalia, everywhere, I'm letting you know." How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India You can watch FIFA 2026 on Zee’s new Unite8 Sports network (Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD). Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across the four channels with English and Hindi feeds. All games will also be streamed live on the Zee5 app and website. Link: https://www.zee5.com/

Artan - Africa's referee of 2025 - was denied entry into the US after a long interrogation at Chicago airport and was susbesquently dropped from FIFA's list of officials for football World Cup 2026.

FIFA 2026 | US says Somali ref Artan's links with 'terror organizations' was reason for denied entry

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Somali referee Omar Artan 'proud' to officiate Super Cup after World Cup snub

Barred from FIFA WC 2026, Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate UEFA Super Cup

FIFA 2026 | US says Somali ref's links with 'terror groups' reason for no entry