Somali referee Omar Artan appointed to 2026 UEFA Super Cup after US denied World Cup entry
UEFA appointed Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in August. Artan, 34, has been on FIFA’s international referees list since 2018 and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025, but he was denied a US visa and could not officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. UEFA said the appointment recognizes Artan’s officiating skills and gives him a global showcase despite the US immigration decision, highlighting how travel restrictions can reshape high-profile assignments.
CANADA COMES TO THE RESCUE OF SOMALIAN REFEREE OMAR ARTAN! 🇨🇦🇸🇴 David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, has announced that his province would welcome Omar Artan. He stated that Artan should be allowed to referee World Cup matches within his jurisdiction, specifically in the host city of Vancouver.
cantankerous55.bsky.social134The Trump administration is so racist and shortsighted. Like FIFA, Trump runs a Mafia style organization.
rapidwriter CA71He is not allowed to by FIFA .. every referee has to attend a meeting in the US before the games begin, so he has been taken off the roster already. They wasted no time on that …
Neşe 🇹🇷💙 🇩🇪💙 🇺🇸53I love Canada even more now! Bravo Canada! 🇨🇦👏👏👏
Rosecrucian Roeth45FIFA won't allow it because Giannini is beholden to Trump and vice versa.
enrich1245I hate being on the same side as the assholes. #TrumpSucks
Uniongrl ☮️ 🌍🎵🌻🦋41I live in Minnesota. We have a large, wonderful community that includes those who sought asylum from Somalia. The USA is run by White Christian Nationalists. This is disgusting! Thank you Canada.
Goose the Moose39This shouldn't even be an issue. How absurd. What an embarrassment for the people of the US. Shamed by their racist government.
Matt29Mexico should follow suit and show ICE and American immigration up for the racist, incompetent bunch of Trump Nazis they've become
muppet7.bsky.social25I wish Canada had hosted the entire event, multi-host events just aren't as good, not to mention the US issues, FIFA have ripped the soul out of football
Ian13Pull every game from U.S.A
~<《🅕🅛🅨》>~12Canada behaves like adults, while Trump hasn't made it out of eating crayons.
BlueMonday11FIFA under Infantino is discredited beyond repair. He’s sold FIFA’s soul to Trump & tarnished the integrity of Football. Elitist ticket pricing & exploitation of Football fans. The World Cup should not be granted to Countries who politicise & impose their ideologies. Referees should go on strike
Nyx Cipher11thank you Canada for not being a bunch of wankers
Tom Heck9Love to see Trump's meltdown after another country does the honorable thing
Mojumi8If FIFA try to block this, it will only be to avoid enraging Trump. What a disgrace that Trump and infantino between them have weaponised the biggest sporting event in the world.
dabxdee.bsky.social7They don't call the regime's leader Donnie Douchebag for nothing...
abefrohmantheking.bsky.social7Unfortunately, this doesn’t help him. All of the referees are together to train and review performance and it limits his assignments. It looks like there are only three matches he could be assigned to. You can only see a team once and you can’t work a game involving a team from your confederation.
Bern7There is a mandatory training camp in Miami and unfortunately no technology exists for him to join that camp remotely. He can’t
Her Soldier: 🇺🇦🇨🇦🌈🦄🌸💙💜 No MAGA’s7Thank you Canada!!! Our dumb a$$ president has turned america into one of those shit hole countries.🤬
Franca (Ph.D.) 🇨🇦5No point. He can't ref a game if he isn't at refs' training camp in Florida. That's a FIFA WC-2026 rule & Canada can't change it.
Endicott Author5This tells you all you need to know about America right now.
♦︎ Les Cordes Vibratoires ♦︎4Normal people doing normal stuff.
Matato'a Brian 🗿🗿🗿3I love Canada. But there is another part to this. FIFA has to assign him to the games, a move which would anger the orange toddler. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see Infantino doing something to displease his peace prize recipient.
Horselaugh3Because, unlike the US, Canada's gov't isn't run by ethnocentric racists.
Dave (DABS)3We don't want you in the United States! For Whites only!
Dave (DABS)3All because of this piece of shit! 💩☠️🤮
Dave Ryan3Well done, Canada. Show them how a proper host behaves.
Diane3Not FIFA! Didn't FIFA sanction Indonesia? But nothing to the US?
Ed3Oh.....but let white South African racists in ......
WendyTSRQ3Once again Canada proves they actually are what the US likes to think it is.
Ashland Forest Dweller3Somalian Referee Omar Artan to enter the US, Trump is playing to his racist base, by allowing him to enter Canada and referee FIFA matches, Canada is playing fair. I wish the US would give Trump a permanent Red Card.
lilbourne's ghost3See the trump regime are starting their lies and dirty tricks Ditto ice , iran actually everything
Jackie Knott2Bravo, Canada! You see why we love you so much?! 💙
Stephen O’Connor 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (he/him)2He’ll get an amazing welcome should he come here to Vancouver!
Ian2Not sure if you know anything about Canadian politics but Eby has no jurisdiction to offer this. It's a PR sop.
Graeme2❤️🇨🇦 In a world where people forever let you down, Canada, never does!
Skatingfool2Canada is the adult in the room.
bearbuttsam.bsky.social2As an American, It hurts to say these things but please shame everything about the current "Administration". He has ruined the US in every possible way 😫😫😫😫
Rev. C.P. Johnson2Wtf does this admin think? That he's going to illegally stay past his visa?! This man has a great career and isn't a criminal. This is blatant racism and that's all there is to it. We need to ban Trump from this country.
tiadee1031.bsky.social2👉 Canada is a nation of fairness & compassion over the U.S., which is now being run by hate & racism. We USED to be a country that at least tried to appear as if we weren't basing our whole attitude towards elite athletes on the color of their skin or the country of origin. So deeply embarrassed.
princeofpecanst.bsky.social2Awesome! The U.S. is quickly becoming an $sithole country. #BoycottWorldCup games in the U.S
Eamonn Quinn2So, as I understand it, the FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer, Pierluigi Collina, has a training camp in Miami that all FIFA officials due to officiate in the tournament ("Team One") must attend. As Artan cannot enter the US, he can't attend this camp. I'm not sure he will be allowed to officiate.
VG Witmer2Thank you, Canada! As a 92-yr old American, I am embarrassed that racism has run amok—hitting sports. Waiting for the day Hegseth is stranded in an airport.
Every country has the right to refuse entry, including Canada David eby doesn’t speak for border security. FIFA does not vet players or refs regarding security, as politicians come out of the wood work for publicity with nothing backing statements.
Let’s be clear: Omar Artan was denied entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, despite having all of the necessary visa paperwork. Thank you, Canada.
Rage of a thousand forebears5This guy should sue Mark Wayne for defamation. He intimated today that he has some kind of criminal ties which could effect his prospects of global entry in other countries, if they follow suit.
dangerousdrink948.bsky.social5This is down right evil to do to someone. I feel for him, I know his pain.
And then FIFA dumps him? Did I hear that right? FIFA is more corrupt than the U.S. (hard to believe, I know)
Hold My Beer ❌👑🐸🇲🇽🇨🇦2Thank you Canada!!!! Sorry America is being run by racist dicks right not. Hang in there, we're working on it.
stopdropendfascism.bsky.social2America is a Nazi country
Morganne MacDonald2Another reason to love Canada. May we return to her values (and ours) after the orange menace is gone and all those who enabled his criminal corruption are charged (along w/djt), prosecuted & incarcerated after being found guilty. No pardons. Accountability matters. So does ending corruption.
One man’s alleged friend of “really bad people” is another man’s UEFA Super Cup referee. UEFA announces Somali Omar Artan will referee the game between PSG and Aston Villa after his World Cup dreams were crushed by US immigration officials.
Rob Evans7FIFA should be prosecuted for not protecting their own people and the boss needs to be ousted we warned you this tournament was going to be a disaster FIFA is not fit for purpose and deserves to be destroyed dumb fucks
MT5Games haven’t even started yet and I already can’t keep up with all the subplots
terifaarr.bsky.social4It's embarrassing to be an American
gillybee662Why couldn't he have swapped with another official and reffed games in Mexico or Canada?
Omar Artan, a FIFA-approved Somali referee, denied entry by Trump’s administration. Canada offers a fix, FIFA’s bureaucracy kills it anyway How can anyone support the World Cup while this blatant racism and hypocrisy is being normalized?
AustenM7It's not the World Cup, it is the Worst Cup!!!
Samantha Meows4I know avid football fans will ignore this. But really if they were true to football they would boycott. This will only get worse.
Jonathan Bird4AI slop cartoons certainly shouldn’t be normalised.
Rory Forbes 🇬🇱3FIFA should have moved the mandatory training to Canada. Worst World Cup Ever #WWC and it hasnt even started yet. Knowing how the US love a sporting acronym, let's go with #WWC
flyoragayshun.bsky.social3FIFA are supporting Trump’s racist policies. Please remember that.
