BAGHDAD: Iraqi World Cup forward Aymen Hussein was held and interrogated for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport after arriving with the team early Saturday, an Iraqi sports official said.
Hussein was eventually allowed entry, but the team photographer was banned from entering the United States, said the official who works for the Iraqi Olympic Committee but has close contacts with the team.
There was no immediate comment from the Iraqi Football Association, nor from Hussein, a talismanic figure who scored the goal that secured the team’s qualification for the final.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the reported interrogation that was also covered by Iraqi media.
Fans came out in the early hours of the morning to greet the Iraqi team at the airport, holding flags and asking players to pose for photographs less than a week before the start of the tournament, video on social media showed.
Hussein’s phone was inspected after his arrival, the Iraqi 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,” the official added.
Iraq returns to the World Cup for the first time since it debuted 40 years ago.
Hussein, 30, leads a powerful frontline that also features Ipswich Town’s Ali Al-Hamadi and young talents Ali Jassim and Youssef Amyn.
Iraq will face France, Senegal and Norway in Group I.
The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, begins Thursday.
