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Somali Referee's Super Cup Final: 'This Was My World Cup'
🇬🇷 Greece /Sports

Somali Referee's Super Cup Final: 'This Was My World Cup'

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Somali referee Omar Artan officiated the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.
  • Artan became the first non-European referee to officiate this match, fulfilling a dream after missing the 2026 World Cup due to travel restrictions.
  • He expressed his gratitude to UEFA, writing on the match ball, "Thank you UEFA, you really made my life better forever" and "This was my World Cup."

Somali referee Omar Artan experienced a moment of profound fulfillment as he officiated the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa. His presence in the match marked a historic achievement, as he became the first non-European referee to take charge of this prestigious European club competition.

Artan's journey to the Super Cup final was deeply personal. He had been selected by FIFA to officiate matches at the 2026 World Cup. However, his dream of participating in the global tournament was shattered when he was denied entry into the United States due to travel restrictions imposed on Somalia. This setback left his World Cup aspirations unfulfilled.

Thank you UEFA, you really made my life better forever.

— Omar ArtanWritten on the UEFA Super Cup final match ball, expressing gratitude.

UEFA offered Artan a significant opportunity to redeem this disappointment by entrusting him with the Super Cup final. After the final whistle, a visibly emotional Artan expressed his gratitude. He took the official match ball and inscribed it with heartfelt messages.

His handwritten notes on the ball read: "Thank you UEFA, you really made my life better forever." He added a poignant closing statement that encapsulated the significance of the night for him: "This was my World Cup."

This was my World Cup.

— Omar ArtanWritten on the UEFA Super Cup final match ball, signifying the importance of the event after missing the World Cup.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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