UEFA confirmed Artan, 34, will take charge of the Super Cup between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League winners Aston Villa in Salzburg on 12 August.
One of Africa’s finest officials, Artan has been on the FIFA international list since 2018 and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025. He made history in 2024 as the first Somali to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations, handled the bronze medal match at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup and took charge of the second leg of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League final.
Selected as one of FIFA’s 52 World Cup referees, he would have been the first Somali to officiate at the tournament. Instead, US Customs and Border Protection denied him entry at Miami International Airport despite a valid visa and diplomatic passport, citing unspecified vetting concerns.
He returned home to a hero’s welcome in Mogadishu. UEFA’s appointment is a clear show of solidarity.
Photo: Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
