Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was held by U.S. border officials for approximately seven hours at Chicago's O'Hare Airport as the Iraqi national team arrived in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Hussein underwent extended security screening and background checks before authorities cleared him to enter the country and rejoin his teammates in their World Cup preparations.

Several players faced entry delays

Hussein was not the only member of the travelling party to face difficulties at the border. According to Kora Plus, a number of other Iraqi players were detained for shorter periods of one to two hours before being cleared for entry.

Merdhas Doski was held and questioned for approximately two hours. Zidane Iqbal, Youssef Amyn, Ibrahim Bayesh, Fahad Talib, Zaid Tahseen, and Hussein Ali were each detained for roughly one hour before being allowed through.

In a more serious setback, the team's photographer was denied entry altogether following an inspection of their phone.

Full squad now in the United States

Despite the rolling administrative delays, all players have since entered the United States and the squad is expected to proceed with their scheduled preparations. Football officials expressed relief that the disruption was resolved without further incident.

The Iraqi Olympic Committee reported that neither U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement nor the Department of Homeland Security had issued any public statement regarding the interrogations.

The episode marks a turbulent start to what is a historic campaign for Iraq — the nation's first World Cup appearance in 40 years. They are drawn in a group alongside France, Senegal, and Norway.