Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was held and questioned for almost seven hours after arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, while the team’s photographer, Talal Salah, was barred from entering the United States after more than 10 hours of checks.
Aymen Hussein landed at Chicago O’Hare Airport with the rest of Iraq’s squad and looked set to move on to the next part of the tournament routine.
Instead, border agents took the Iraqi World Cup striker away for questioning.
Hussein was held for almost seven hours after arriving in the United States on Saturday. with the squad’s tournament set to begin on Thursday. He was ultimately given the green light to enter and join Iraq as a whole. but the stop was long enough to delay his arrival just as the World Cup is only days away.
The disruption didn’t end with Hussein. Iraq’s national team photographer, Talal Salah, was also pulled aside during entry processing and detained for more than 10 hours. He underwent phone checks and other inspections, but was denied entry to the United States.
An official who works for the Iraqi Olympic Committee and has close contacts with Iraq’s soccer team said Hussein’s phone was taken away for inspection. The same official said Salah was held for more than 10 hours, underwent similar phone checks, and was ultimately refused.
A US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson set out the US side of the process. describing it as routine inspection and vetting under its authority. The spokesperson said that on June 5 the Iraqi national team arrived at Chicago O’Hare International Airport from Dubai International Airport. During processing, two travelers underwent additional inspection as part of the vetting procedures where officers verify information or determine admissibility.
After that inspection, one traveler was admitted. The spokesperson said the second traveler—a photographer who was not a player on the team—was determined to be inadmissible and was denied entry due to vetting concerns.
The spokesperson also emphasized that all travelers seeking entry to the United States. including athletes. coaches. and staff. are subject to Customs and Border Protection inspection and vetting. Admissibility decisions. the spokesperson said. are made case-by-case using law enforcement. national security. and immigration information available at the time of inspection.
The Daily Mail said it had contacted FIFA, as well as the Department of Homeland Security and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for comment.
Iraq are set to compete at their first World Cup for 40 years. They have been drawn in Group I and will play against France, Senegal and Norway.
While Iraq’s own issue unfolded at O’Hare. the wider tournament travel atmosphere in US-linked entries has already been turbulent. Earlier. Iran’s team were told they must enter and leave US soil on the same day of matches. while “integral” members of their coaching staff had been denied visas to the World Cup.
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico—where the squad is staying due to the ongoing conflict with the US—said on Saturday that the players would have to be in and out of the US within 24 hours. “We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day,” Iran’s envoy Abolfazl Pasandideh told reporters. US officials said visas had been issued to all players and “necessary support staff” ahead of their June 16 opener. and said Iran would not be allowed to “abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences.”.
Iran’s embassy in Turkey said visas had been denied to “a large portion of the managerial and executive staff” and accused the Americans of “politically biased interference in sport.” It claimed visas had been denied to “a large portion of the managerial and executive staff” and “technical advisers. ” while Iranian state media reported that the head of the football federation and his deputy were among those denied entry.
For Iraq, the immediate outcome is clear: Hussein is now in, after nearly seven hours of questioning at O’Hare. But Salah’s denial leaves a sharp contrast inside the same delegation—one person cleared after a lengthy hold, another refused after even longer checks, despite similar phone inspections.
Iraq World Cup Aymen Hussein Talal Salah Chicago O'Hare US Customs and Border Protection visa denied Iraq squad FIFA World Cup 2026