Iraq’s World Cup delegation faced an unexpected delay at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers detained star forward Aymen Hussein for seven hours before allowing him to enter the country. A team photographer, Talal Salah, was not admitted and was sent back to Iraq after CBP said he was “determined to be inadmissible” because of vetting concerns.
The Iraqi team had flown to Chicago for a warm-up match against Venezuela at SeatGeek Stadium in southwest suburban Bridgeview. The incident drew attention because the players and staff were traveling for sport, not immigration or work outside the team’s official schedule.
What happened at O’Hare
CBP said two travelers from the Iraqi delegation were taken for additional inspection after arriving from Dubai International Airport. The agency said that process is routine when officers need to verify information or decide whether a traveler can enter the United States.
According to CBP, one of the two travelers was eventually admitted, while the other was denied entry after inspection. The spokesperson stressed that “admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis” using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available during inspection.
A player was held, a staff member was turned away
Hussein’s detention lasted several hours, but he was later cleared to enter. The team photographer did not receive the same outcome, and CBP did not provide a more detailed public explanation for why he was sent back.
The agency also said all travelers entering the United States, including athletes, coaches, and staff, are subject to inspection and vetting. That means even high-profile sports delegations can face extra questioning at the border if officers want to confirm details or resolve concerns.
Reaction from Iraqi supporters in Chicago
The airport incident quickly became a talking point among Iraqi fans and members of the diaspora. Ali Challabi, an Iraqi American visiting Chicago from Houston with his son for the match, said the team’s star player should have been allowed in without such a delay.
“Everybody in Iraq, they’re talking about this,” Challabi said. “This is not supposed to happen like that, because he’s an international player team, and he’s not coming here to visit, he’s coming here to play and do his job and go back to Iraq.”
His comments reflected frustration that a player traveling for a scheduled match was held for questioning at the airport. Still, the Iraqi side did not present the incident as a targeted political move.
Iraqi team source points to other visa denials
A source inside the Iraqi team said the delegation does not believe it was singled out for political reasons. The source pointed to other reported cases in which a Somali referee and a Swiss player were also denied entry to the United States around World Cup-related travel.
That view suggested the team saw the airport episode as part of broader border enforcement rather than an action aimed specifically at Iraq. Even so, the detentions added stress to the team’s arrival ahead of a match that was meant to serve as preparation.
The episode left the Iraqi delegation with one important positive and one setback: Hussein eventually made it through, while Salah was ordered back. For a team arriving to focus on football, the airport inspection became an early and highly visible test before the match in Bridgeview.
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