Somali referee Omar Artan has spoken out for the first time about his deportation from the United States of America (USA) in June, which denied him the chance to officiate in the FIFA World Cup for the first time during the 2026 edition, which is co-hosted by North American countries the USA, Mexico, and Canada. With the base for referees being in Florida, it meant he could not take charge of games in the other two nations too.

The African official admitted it was a tough period for him but appreciated the support he received during the period. “It was a very tough period. A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working for a lot of years and is supposed to do something and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging. I really appreciate the support I received throughout the world, though; I’m so grateful,” said Artan in an interview with UEFA.

Following the World Cup controversy and FIFA accepting the USA’s order, UEFA handed Artan the chance to officiate in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, which will take place on Wednesday (August 12) between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg.

This will mark a historic moment, as it will be the first instance of a non-European referee taking charge of the UEFA Super Cup in history. Artan revealed his first reaction after being informed he will take charge of the season curtain-raiser. He also hailed the collabration between CAF and UEFA.

“When we got this call it was, for me and my family, really a very, very happy moment. There’s a big Somali community in Europe and in Austria, and they are over the moon with me officiating a match like this,” said Artan.

“For me, it’s fantastic that CAF is working with UEFA, the best confederation in the world for referees. The standard in Europe is fantastic and the football they play is very, very good. I believe that CAF referees can learn a lot from UEFA, and UEFA referees can also learn a lot from CAF. It’s mutually beneficial. I’m honoured to be appointed for this huge match. I want to say a big thank you to UEFA, as well as to the CAF president and everybody at CAF,” Artan added.

Artan has rapidly established himself among the world’s best referees after winning the 2025 CAF African Referee of the Year award.