An Iraqi sporting official said Iraq's key striker Aymen Hussein was held for nearly seven hours and questioned after the squad landed at Chicago O'Hare airport early on Saturday. The official, who works for the Iraqi Olympic Committee and maintains close contacts with the national team, said Hussein was eventually allowed into the United States.
The same official said the team's photographer, Talal Salah, faced a longer period of detention. Salah was reportedly held for more than 10 hours, underwent checks of his phone similar to those applied to Hussein, and was ultimately refused entry into the United States.
There was no immediate comment from the Iraqi Football Association, and Hussein himself did not issue a statement, the official added. Attempts to obtain reactions from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security did not receive immediate responses, according to the official account.
Video shared on social media captured fans greeting the Iraq squad at the airport in the early morning hours. Supporters carried national flags and asked players to pose for photographs as the team arrived, less than a week before the World Cup begins.
The sporting official also said that Hussein's phone was inspected following his arrival. Beyond that, the official provided the details on the durations of the detentions and the ultimate outcome for both Hussein and the photographer.
Iraq returns to the World Cup for the first time since their debut 40 years ago. The squad travels to the tournament with a forward line led by the 30-year-old Hussein, alongside Ipswich Town's Ali Al-Hamadi and younger attackers Ali Jassim and Youssef Amyn.
Iraq has been drawn into Group I, where they will face France, Senegal and Norway. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is scheduled to begin on Thursday.
Context and reporting notes
The account of the detentions and phone inspections comes from an Iraqi sporting official associated with the Olympic Committee who has close contacts with the team. Official responses from the Iraqi Football Association, the player involved, and U.S. immigration authorities were not available at the time of reporting.