The Kuwait Football Association said the honour was in recognition of Artan’s achievements and contributions to international football.
Celebrated Somali FIFA referee Omar Artan has bagged yet another honour, building on his international reputation.
The young referee has become a global sensation after being denied entry to the United States to officiate at the 2026 World Cup.
The latest recognition came from Kuwait where he was given an award of excellence on 30 June.
The Kuwait Football Association said the honour was in recognition of Artan’s achievements and contributions to international football.
The 34-year-old official described the award as a ‘’generous honour’’ and a symbol of ‘’invaluable trust’’.
‘Honouring Somalia’
Artan thanked fans around the world for standing by him since the US entry debacle. The Somali football icon also prayed to God for more success in delivering the ‘’highest levels of performance’’ and ‘’honouring Somalia’’ on the global stage.
After being handed the award, the Somali referee officiated the final of Kuwait’s Zain Premier League for the 2025–2026 season, with Kuwait SC clinching the title after beating Al Qadsia SC.
The match was attended by the Chairman of the Kuwait Football Association, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah.
This comes as Omar Artan prepares to officiate the highly anticipated 2026 Super Cup final between PSG and Aston Villa in Austria on 12 August at UEFA’s invitation.
Entry denial
Artan’s global prominence spiked after the US, one of the co-hosts of the FIFA World Cup, denied him entry to officiate at the tournament, which is taking place from 11 June to 19 July across Canada, Mexico and the US.
He was turned back at Miami International Airport despite having a valid visa, a diplomatic passport and FIFA credentials. US officials claimed they blocked him because of "vetting concerns".
When he returned home, he received a hero’s welcome in Mogadishu and FIFA has promised to pay him his full remuneration despite not taking part in the tournament.
He would have been the first-ever Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup.
Born in Mogadishu in 1992, Artan started out blowing the whistle in Somalia’s leagues and became a FIFA-listed referee in 2018. He was the first Somali referee to oversee a CAF Champions League final, officiated at AFCON 2025, and was named Africa’s Men’s Referee of the Year for 2025 by CAF.
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