Somali referee Omar Artan, who was barred by the United States from the World Cup, was picked for the showcase UEFA Super Cup game in August.
European soccer body UEFA said Artan will referee the August 12 game between Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League winner Aston Villa. The game will be in Salzburg, Austria.
“Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills,” UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said in a statement.
Artan got a hero’s welcome returning to Somalia , days after he was refused entry in Miami and questioned for 11 hours by US authorities despite being picked by FIFA for World Cup duty. He was sent away on a flight to Turkey.
US officials claimed Artan had connections to terror organisations, though without providing proof.
Artan's treatment heightened concerns about US immigration policy around the World Cup that was criticised by the United Nations' top human rights official on Thursday.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said it was powerless to prevent Artan's ordeal, and "we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces”.
The 34-year-old referee was judged the best in Africa last season and worked the decisive game in the continent's Champions League final last month.
Čeferin said UEFA worked on the plan with the Confederation of African Football and its president Patrice Motsepe. Čeferin and Motsepe both are FIFA vice presidents.
"Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African continent extremely proud," Motsepe said in the UEFA statement.
"This is a great honour for Omar Artan and for African referees and is also an excellent example of football bringing together and uniting people from Africa and Europe and worldwide,” Motsepe said, hours before his native South Africa opened the World Cup against co-host Mexico. They play at the storied Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
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