A Somali World Cup referee, Omar Artan, who was barred from entering the United States due to an alleged association with suspected members of terror organizations, has been appointed to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.

Background

Artan was denied entry into the U.S. days before the tournament kicked off in North America by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after being flagged for derogatory information, a Trump administration official told Fox News Digital.

UEFA, though, cited Artan’s officiating skills as the reason why he will be on the pitch for the tournament. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said, Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills.

A Trump administration official said that Artan was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA. President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country — full stop.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.