Paris Saint-Germain won the UEFA Super Cup for the second straight year by beating Aston Villa 2-1 on Wednesday. The match was the traditional curtain-raiser to the European season.
Désiré Doué scored the winning goal in the 61st minute. He ran onto Ousmane Dembélé’s pass and curled a left-foot shot into the far corner. The goal was initially ruled offside, but VAR showed that Villa right back Matty Cash was keeping Doué onside. The referee awarded the goal after the review.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring in the 20th minute. He cut in from the left and scored with a powerful shot inside the near post. He is the first Georgian player to score in a UEFA Super Cup. He has now scored eight goals in his last ten UEFA games.
Aston Villa equalized just before half-time through Brian Madjo. He became the youngest player to feature and score in a UEFA Super Cup. Madjo made his competitive debut for Villa days after getting approval to play. His registration had been blocked by FIFA because of transfer rules for players under 18. Villa appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and won the case last week.
The Super Cup is the annual match between the Champions League winners and the Europa League winners. PSG won the Champions League last season. Villa won the Europa League.
The match was refereed by Omar Artan from Somalia. He was barred from officiating at the World Cup by the United States. US officials claimed he had connections to terror organizations, though they did not provide proof. UEFA responded by giving him the Super Cup final.
PSG are aiming for a possible six trophies this season. They have already won the Super Cup. They will next play Lens in the Trophée des Champions on Sunday. That match is between last season’s league and cup winners in France.
PSG coach Luis Enrique said his team may not be in the best physical condition. But he praised his players for showing their quality. He said the fans have helped the team keep winning.
Villa manager Unai Emery has now lost four Super Cup finals. He lost twice with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.
Omar Artan Makes History as First Non-European Referee for UEFA Super Cup
Somali referee Omar Artan made history by becoming the first non-European official to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup.
Artan was originally selected by FIFA for the World Cup 2026 refereeing panel. However, he was unable to participate because the United States denied him entry. The Trump administration claimed Artan had links to suspected members of terror organizations.
In response to this, the Confederation Africaine de Football and UEFA appointed Artan to officiate the Super Cup final. UEFA posted on social media that history was made. It confirmed Artan as the first non-European to take charge of the Super Cup.
Artan has established himself as one of the world’s top referees. He has been on the FIFA international list since 2018. He officiated the second leg of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League final. He also received the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award in 2025.
Why Omar Artan Was Banned During the World Cup
Somali referee Omar Artan became the first non-European to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup. He was the first referee from his country to oversee the CAF Champions League final. He won the African federation’s men’s referee of the year award in 2025. He was then selected to referee at the 2026 World Cup, another first for a Somali official.
Artan arrived in Miami on June 8 but was denied entry to the United States. He had all his documents in order, including a valid visa. He underwent additional screening upon arrival. US authorities determined he was inadmissible due to “vetting concerns” and turned him away. Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration. FIFA confirmed that Artan would be unable to officiate at the World Cup. FIFA said it was not involved in host country immigration processes.
Three days after Artan was barred from entering the US, UEFA announced he would take charge of the Super Cup. The decision followed a memorandum of understanding signed in April of this year. The agreement encourages greater cooperation between UEFA and CAF in many areas, including refereeing. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said football is made to connect people. He said UEFA wanted to show respect to Artan and his officiating skills. He thanked CAF president Patrice Motsepe for supporting the initiative.
Artan said a lot of people have sympathy for him. He said it is very challenging to work for many years and then not be able to do what you were supposed to do. He said he appreciates the support he received from around the world. When he got the call for the Super Cup, it was a very happy moment for him and his family. He said there is a big Somali community in Europe and in Austria. They are over the moon with him officiating a match like this. He said he has worked very hard to be here and he is really proud.
FAQs
Q. Which teams played in the UEFA Super Cup?
A. Paris Saint-Germain played Aston Villa.
Q. Who won the UEFA Super Cup?
A. Paris Saint-Germain won 2-1.
Q. Why was Omar Artan unable to referee at the World Cup?
A. US authorities denied him entry over stated vetting concerns.
Q. What major African match did Artan referee?
A. Artan refereed the second leg of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League final.
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