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By Marni Rose McFall
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Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the FIFA-appointed Somali referee who has been unable to take part in the World Cup after he was denied entry into the United States, has been appointed to officiate next month’s UEFA Super Cup between Paris St Germain and Aston Villa.
Artan, who is one of Africa’s leading soccer referees, was set to become the first Somali to ever referee at a World Cup, after being approved by FIFA, football's global governing body, but was turned away at Miami International Airport on Saturday.
“Despite his young age, Artan has established himself as one of the world’s top referees and has been on the FIFA international list since 2018,” UEFA said in a statement.
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“UEFA and CAF [Confederation of African Football] are united by a shared commitment to developing football at all levels and promoting the core values of unity, equality and non-discrimination,” they added.
In the same statement, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said, “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. Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar.”
The Super Cup will see Paris Saint-Germain competing for another European trophy, fresh from their victory against Arsenal in the Champions League.
Though the UEFA Super Cup doesn’t carry the same weight as the Champions League, it is still a significant and closely watched match and can set the tone for an upcoming season. The high-profile nature of this game makes it a significant move for UEFA and Artan.
FIFA sits at the top of football’s global structure, with regional bodies such as UEFA, Europe’s governing body, operating independently but within its broader international framework.
Against that backdrop, UEFA’s move has been viewed in some quarters as a pointed contrast to FIFA’s handling of the situation, after the global body signalled it was unable to challenge the United States’ decision to deny him entry.
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Omar Abdulkadir Artan Denied Entry to the U.S.
Artan, 34, has officiated international soccer matches for years, including at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The move from the U.S. to deny a FIFA-appointed match official permission to enter a World Cup host country drew shock and outrage across the world.
Somalia is one of a number of countries that President Donald Trump's administration placed on a travel ban list to "protect the nation from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said he was "determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns."
A Trump administration official told CNN the vetting uncovered "derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations."
Artan was issued a visa to travel to the U.S. last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya, which processed it.
FIFA confirmed that Artan would not be able to officiate at the World Cup and said that it was "not involved in host country immigration processes."
"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country," a spokesperson said.
Artan thanked FIFA and CAF for their support and said that he would stay positive despite the circumstances.
"I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future," he said.
Omar Abdulkadir Artan Receives Heroes Welcome, Meets President
Artan was received as a hero when he returned home to the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
Thousands of soccer fans packed the stadium to welcome him, with patriotic songs echoing through the arena as supporters waved the nation's flag and cheered him on.
In a recent post on Instagram, Artan shared an image of himself with the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Artan wrote in the post, “This invitation of the president and the way he shared with me and helped me with what I met is a big deal for me.”
“Likewise, this meeting is the second meeting that I meet with the president in his office and the first and most important advice that the president gives me is to protect the name and dignity of the Somali people. Wherever we go, let us represent our flag with justice and justice,” he added.
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