New Delhi . Before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, an incident has come to light in America, which has created a discussion in the sports world. Iraq national football team star striker Aymen Hussein was stopped and interrogated for about seven hours at Chicago International Airport upon arrival in America. Although he was allowed to enter the country after a lengthy investigation, the team’s official photographer Talal Salah was denied entry into the US and was deported.
According to reports, Aymen Hussain reached America early Saturday, where immigration officials stopped him. During interrogation, his mobile phone and other documents were also examined. After a process that lasted for about seven hours, the officials gave him clearance and allowed him to enter America.
Aymen Hussein is counted among the most important players of Iraqi football. The 30-year-old striker performed brilliantly in the World Cup qualifiers and scored crucial goals as Iraq qualified for the FIFA World Cup after four decades. In such a situation, this incident that happened to him just before the tournament has increased the concern of Iraqi football fans.
The situation became more serious when Iraqi national team photographer Talal Salah was refused entry to the US after being detained for more than 10 hours. According to the information, he was also extensively interrogated and his mobile phone was examined. Despite this, the authorities did not allow him to enter the country.
An Iraqi Olympic Committee official said security and immigration checks in both cases were thorough. However, the authorities did not clarify what was the reason for such a long interrogation. On the other hand, there was no immediate official response on this matter from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security.
It is noteworthy that the FIFA World Cup 2026 is being jointly hosted by America, Canada and Mexico. This tournament is considered to be the biggest World Cup in history, in which a record number of teams are participating. Iraq is also among those countries which have made it to the World Cup after a long wait.
Iraq’s team has been placed in Group-1 along with strong teams like France, Senegal and Norway. Apart from Aymen Hussain, the team also includes players like Ipswich Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi, young talent Ali Jassim and Youssef Amin. In such a situation, this incident that came before the tournament can affect the preparations of the team.
Currently, Aymen Hussein has joined the team, but the matter of not allowing photographer Talal Salah entry has become a new challenge for the Iraqi football administration. Amidst the World Cup atmosphere, this incident is also raising many questions regarding security, immigration procedures and treatment of players.
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