Soccer star questioned for nearly seven hours after arriving in the US for World Cup
A soccer player set to play in the World Cup was reportedly questioned by immigration officers for seven hours at the airport.
Members of the Iraq soccer team arrived in the US on Friday night (June 5), but one of the country's key players, striker Aymen Hussein, was almost unable to gain entry into America.
Hussein is said to have been held at Chicago’s O’Hare airport after arriving with his teammates and other staff members.
It's the first time in decades that Iraq has qualified to play in the World Cup. Other than this year, the only time the team has taken part in the tournament was in 1986.
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A source working for the Iraqi Olympic Committee spoke to Reuters and said that Hussein's phone was inspected when he landed in the US.
Fortunately 30-year-old Hussein was eventually granted access. However, the team's photographer did not.
The official said: "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."
A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has since issued a statement on the matter and explained that the photographer wasn't allowed in the US because of 'vetting concerns'.
They told The Athletic: "On June 5, the Iraqi national team arrived at Chicago O’Hare International Airport from Dubai International Airport.
"During processing, two travellers underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.
"Following inspection, one traveler was admitted to the United States. The second traveller, a photographer and not a player on the team, was determined to be inadmissible and was denied entry due to vetting concerns."
The statement went on: "All travellers 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.
"CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with US law."
Hussein and his team are set to play a warm-up match against Venezuela on Wednesday (June 10) in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Meanwhile, the team's first official World Cup game will be against against Norway in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 16.
This year's tournament is being co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. South Africa will kick of the competition on June 11 by going up against Mexico in Mexico City.
United States’ 2026 World Cup squad
Goalkeepers
1 - Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
24 - Matt Freese (New York City FC)
25 - Chris Brady (Chicago Fire)
Defenders
2 - Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven)
3 - Chris Richards (Crystal Palace)
5 - Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
6 - Auston Trusty (Celtic)
12 - Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati)
13 - Tim Ream (Charlotte FC) - captain
16 - Alex Freeman (Villarreal)
18 - Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew)
22 - Mark McKenzie (Toulouse)
23 - Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Midfielders
4 - Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth)
7 - Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
8 - Weston McKennie (Juventus)
10 - Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
11 - Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)
14 - Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps)
15 - Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)
17 - Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
21 - Timothy Weah (Marseille)
26 - Alejandro Zendejas (Club América)
Forwards
9 - Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven)
19 - Haji Wright (Coventry City)
20 - Folarin Balogun (Monaco)
Topics: World News, US News, World Cup, Sport
Niamh Shackleton