๐ Referee announced for 2026 #SuperCup!
We're pleased to share that Somali referee Omar Artan will officiate the highly anticipated match between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg.
BREAKING: Somali football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry into the United States and returned to Istanbul on Monday after being stopped at Miami International Airport, according to sources within the Somali Football Federation.
The Somali Embassy in Nairobi said on Friday it had facilitated Artanโs travel on a diplomatic passport. He was among African referees selected to officiate matches at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America.
Cartan was recently named Africaโs Best Referee for 2025 at the CAF Awards held in Rabat, Morocco, by the Confederation of African Football.
Somalia is among countries facing U.S. travel restrictions, with most Somali nationals barred from obtaining certain visa categories, with limited exemptions for diplomats and cases considered in the U.S. national interest.
Neither FIFA nor the Somali Football Federation has commented on the incident.