Iraqi footballer Aymen Hussein, who has stepped up significantly as the country’s striker for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was detained for nearly 7 hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport in the United States, according to a Reuters report citing an Iraqi sporting official from the country’s Olympic Committee.
Hussein wasn’t the only one to face trouble at the American airport when he arrived alongside his team early on Saturday (US time). Fortunately, he was allowed into the country after a massive delay, as authorities questioned him at the scene, the Iraqi team’s photographer was denied entry to the United States.
“National team photographer Talal Salah was held for more than 10 hours, underwent similar phone checks, and was ultimately denied entry into the United States,” the official added.
The latest news brought major disappointment to the Iraqi squad’s fans, who came out in droves to greet the team at the airport, especially because this marks the group’s first return to the FIFA World Cup since their debut 40 years ago. The incident also stirred buzz online with less than a week left before the tournament, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, gets underway.
US officials respond to Iraqi footballer’s Chicago airport detention
A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson has since confirmed that Hussein and a team photographer were pulled aside from “additional inspection” after the Iraq squad flew to the US from Dubai International Airport. As quoted by the Chicago Sun Times (CST), the customs officials stated that the inspections were a “routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.”
They added, “All travelers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches, and staff, are subject to CBP inspection and vetting. Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” as CST reported.
Additionally, the local US news outlet’s report cited the customs official, confirming that the team photographer was barred from the US because of “vetting concerns.”
Who is Aymen Hussein?
The 30-year-old frontline star player is the very person whose goal has allowed Iraq to enter its first World Cup in 40 years. Striker Aymen Hussein leads the forwards Ali Al-Hamadi and talented youngsters Ali Jassim and Youssef Amyn. Alongside his team, Hussein is set to face Norway, France, and Senegal on June 16, 22, and 26, respectively, in Group 1.
According to the Vavel sports news site, the 6ft 2 striker has scored 33 goals in 93 international appearances, 9 of which he recorded during the 2026 FIFA qualification campaign.
Hussein has surely emerged as the hero his country needed to break a 40-year wait, but his own story also tragically captures the essence of scars borne by an entire nation. His father was killed in an al-Qaeda attack, and his brother was kidnapped by the Islamic State amid the turmoil following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
While the Iraqi squad, including Hussein, has recently found itself receiving positive reception and cheers, it has also witnessed fans turn against the team. But good times are indeed coming, as a much-needed fate reversal ended with Hussein’s name attached to the winning goal at Monterrey in Mexico, when Iraq played against Bolivia, earning a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
According to The Guardian, Hussein, who is now among the top five all-time Iraqi goal scorers and the highest-paid player in the Iraq Stars League at Al-Karma, was awarded a diplomatic passport, three 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe cars, an apartment, and a 21-carat gold iPhone 17 Pro Max, among other things, after his performance in the qualifying match in March.
Controversy surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The news of Aymen Husein’s temporary detention went viral shortly after the press association’s president, Gianni Merlo, wrote a letter to Bryan Swanson, FIFA’s director of media relations, and Jochen Steinhoff, the organisation’s head of media operations and services, detailing the persistent dilemma of visa denials that journalists were being subjected to.
“We find ourselves facing a long-standing and unacceptable problem for us journalists: the denial of entry visas to regularly accredited colleagues,” the letter stated.
Diving deeper into the troubling extent of the issue, Merlo added, “There are many cases: Iranian colleagues, African colleagues, some of whom have been given single entries, so if their team goes to play in Canada or Mexico and they follow it, they can no longer return to the States. The cases are countless and, I repeat, unacceptable. Politicians always say that sport unites and builds bridges between young people in countries in conflict, but in this case, we are going in the opposite direction.”
On top of that, even Iran’s football federation and diplomatic officials have accused US authorities of denying visas to several team officials and support staff members of the squad, merely days ahead of the World Cup, amid US President Donald Trump’s ongoing war with Iran.
As US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, celebrated his staff for issuing visas to international sportspersons. Responding to a post, which stated “sports transcends borders, the Iranian Embassy in Turkey tweeted that visas were denied to a “large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team.”
The statement added, “You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team to its highest level. The US government in practice is depriving Iran’s national team of its right to play in the World Cup under normal conditions and without undue pressure and stress.”
