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Referee Omar Artan takes the pitch prior UEFA Super Cup football match between PSG and Aston Villa at Red Bull Arena (Stadion Salzburg) in Salzburg, Austria on August 12, 2026. [Isa Terli / AFP]
For Omar Artan, Wednesday night's UEFA Super Cup was never simply another assignment.
The 34-year-old Somali referee walked onto the pitch at Salzburg's Red Bull Arena carrying the weight of a missed World Cup opportunity, but left having created a piece of football history of his own.
Artan became the first referee from outside Europe to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup, overseeing the meeting between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League champions Aston Villa.
