UEFA has appointed Somalia’s Omar Abdulkadir Artan as the referee for the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, in what represents an unprecedented moment for the competition and a significant international landmark for African football.
Artan will take charge as the central referee, with Djibouti’s Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed and Kenya’s Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe appointed as his assistants. The officials will oversee the match on the pitch as part of a trio with experience of major international fixtures.
Their appointments underline the growing international recognition of referees from the African continent. Artan’s selection places a Somali official at the centre of one of UEFA’s major fixtures, while the inclusion of Ahmed and Yiembe gives the on-field team a distinctly African character.
Slovenia’s Rade Obrenovic will complete the match officials as fourth referee. His role will support the work of the three officials operating directly on the pitch and round off the team appointed by European football’s governing body.
UEFA has also chosen experienced officials to manage the video assistant referee system. Italy’s Marco Di Bello will serve as the lead VAR, with Spain’s Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez appointed as assistant VAR.
The VAR team brings together specialists from two of Europe’s leading football nations and completes an ambitious intercontinental officiating team for the 2026 UEFA Super Cup. Di Bello will take primary responsibility for the video review operation, while Cuadra Fernandez will provide support as assistant VAR.
The full appointments mean the match will be overseen by officials from Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Slovenia, Italy and Spain. Together, they form the refereeing structure for the fixture, combining the African-led on-field team with European expertise in the video technology operation.
UEFA’s announcement of the appointments marks a notable development in the history of the competition. Artan’s role as central referee is the clearest expression of that change, while the presence of Ahmed and Yiembe alongside him further highlights the international scope of the selection.
The 2026 UEFA Super Cup will therefore feature a refereeing team assembled across two continents. Artan will lead the officials on the field, assisted by Ahmed and Yiembe, with Obrenovic acting as fourth referee. Di Bello and Cuadra Fernandez will be responsible for the VAR operation, ensuring that the match has a complete officiating team in place.