Referee Deported from the U.S. Gets High-Profile UEFA Assignment

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was deported from the United States this week and excluded from the World Cup, will officiate the prestigious European Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on August 12 in Salzburg, UEFA announced officially.

Artan, 34, who was named Africa's Referee of the Year for 2025, was set to make history as the first Somali referee at a World Cup. However, when he landed at Miami airport ahead of the start of the 2026 World Cup, he was detained for an 11-hour interrogation by U.S. immigration authorities, who canceled his entry visa and deported him back to his country.

Later, senior U.S. administration officials justified the move by claiming Artan was "suspected of ties with members of terrorist organizations." In Somalia and across the football world, the decision sparked outrage, with critics saying it was a result of the Trump administration's strict entry ban policy affecting Somali citizens. FIFA said its hands were tied and that it had no ability to intervene in the sovereignty and visa decisions of host countries.

In a move seen around the world as a clear challenge to the U.S. administration and a vote of complete confidence in the referee, UEFA decided to give him the summer's main European stage. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in an official statement: "Omar Artan is a young but very experienced referee, who has proven himself at the highest levels. UEFA wants to show its respect for Omar and for his excellent refereeing abilities, which earned him this prestigious appointment."