Iraq World Cup star Aymen Hussein questioned by U.S. immigration

Iraq vice-captain and striker Aymen Hussein was held for questioning by U.S. immigration officials upon his arrival at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. The player was detained for nearly seven hours after arriving with his team-mates and staff members for the tournament.

Reports suggest that Hussein had his mobile phone inspected during the questioning process. While he was eventually granted permission to enter the country, the national team's photographer was denied entry due to vetting concerns.

A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that two travellers from the Iraqi delegation underwent additional inspection, which they described as a routine part of the process to verify information and determine admissibility. The agency emphasized that such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

The Iraq national team is in the U.S. preparing for their first World Cup appearance in 40 years. They are scheduled to play a warm-up match against Venezuela before their opening campaign game against Norway on June 16. Iraq is placed in Group I alongside France and Senegal.