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New Delhi. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, an incident in the United States has sparked widespread discussion in the global sports community. Iraq’s national football team striker Aymen Hussein was detained and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago International Airport upon his arrival in the country. Although he was eventually permitted entry after a detailed interrogation, the team’s official photographer, Talal Salah, was denied entry and deported back.

According to available reports, Aymen Hussein arrived in the United States early on Saturday when immigration officers stopped him for inspection. During questioning, officials examined his mobile phone and other personal documents. After nearly seven hours of scrutiny, he was cleared and allowed to enter the country.

Aymen Hussein, 30, is regarded as one of the key figures in Iraqi football. He played a pivotal role in the World Cup qualifiers, scoring crucial goals that helped Iraq secure a place in the FIFA World Cup after a gap of four decades. This incident occurring just before the commencement of the tournament has therefore caused significant concern among Iraqi football fans.

The matter became more serious when the Iraqi national team’s photographer, Talal Salah, was reportedly detained for over ten hours and later refused entry into the US. It is said that he too underwent extensive questioning, and his mobile phone was checked. Despite this, American authorities did not grant him permission to enter the country.

An official from the Iraqi Olympic Committee stated that the security and immigration checks in both cases were exhaustive, but the reasons behind such prolonged interrogations were not clarified by the authorities. Meanwhile, neither the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) nor the Department of Homeland Security has issued an official response to the matter.

It is worth noting that the FIFA World Cup 2026 is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This edition is set to be the biggest in the tournament’s history, featuring a record number of participating teams. Iraq is among the nations making a return to the World Cup after a very long wait.

Iraq has been drawn in Group 1 alongside strong contenders such as France, Senegal, and Norway. Along with Aymen Hussein, the Iraqi squad also features Ipswich Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi, promising youngster Ali Jassim, and Youssef Amin. The recent incident could potentially impact the team’s preparation ahead of the competition.

While Aymen Hussein has already rejoined the squad, the denial of entry to photographer Talal Salah poses a new challenge for Iraq’s football administration. Amid the excitement surrounding the upcoming World Cup, the event has raised several questions about security protocols, immigration procedures, and the treatment of visiting athletes and officials.