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Super Cup 2026: Buffon hails Somali referee Omar Artan after historic Aston Villa vs PSG officiating
13th August, 2026 10:53 AM
Italian legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has praised Somali referee Omar Artan for his historic Super Cup 2026 officiating after a failed 2026 FIFA World Cup dream.
After being denied entry into the U.S for the just-concluded World Cup, Artan was the centre referee as the UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain edged the 2025/26 Europa League winners Aston Villa 2-1 to lift the Super Cup at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
Taking to X shortly after PSG were crowned champions, the former Juventus and PSG shot-stopper hailed the French giants as well as congratulating Artan on becoming the first referee from outside Europe to take charge of the annual fixture between the winners of UEFA’s two major club competitions.
“Congratulations to PSG on another great achievement! And a special congratulations to Omar Artan. Tonight, football gave him the stage he deserved.” He said.
Artan Reflects on the appointment
Reflecting on his Super Cup appointment alongside other African officials, Artan said the news had brought immense happiness to him and his family.
“When we got this call, it was, for me and my family, really a very, very happy moment,” he said on Tuesday, August 10, 2026.
“There’s a big Somali community in Europe and in Austria, and they are over the moon with me officiating a match like this.”
Artan had been scheduled to work at the 2026 World Cup but was turned away when he arrived in Miami on June 6, 2026. His case attracted considerable attention, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino saying he could not intervene in the US administration’s immigration decisions.
Somalia is among the countries included on a US travel-ban list introduced in 2025.
The experience was difficult for the referee, who said the reaction from people around the world helped him through the setback.
“It was a very tough period,” Artan said. “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.” He said.
Meanwhile, it was another historic night for Kenyan assistant referee Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe after he joined the list of East African officials who participated in the first-ever Super Cup match overseen by a team of African officials.
