Detention of Iraqi national team top scorer Ayman Hussein at Chicago airport due to a photo of Muqtada al-Sadr

Informed sources revealed that the historical top scorer of the Iraqi national football team, Ayman Hussein, was subjected to strict security procedures immediately upon his arrival in the United States. Chicago airport authorities stopped the international player for a lengthy investigation that lasted for several continuous hours.

Reports circulated that the reason for the detention was due to immigration officers at the airport finding a photo stored on the player's personal phone showing him with the leader of the Shiite National Trend, Muqtada al-Sadr. This incident sparked a wide wave of controversy among Iraqi sports and political circles.

For its part, the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Washington issued a clarifying statement regarding the circumstances of the incident, confirming its diligent follow-up on the arrival of the national team delegation. The embassy explained that it had contacted the US Department of State and relevant authorities to facilitate the entry of the 62-member delegation.

The embassy confirmed that all members of the delegation were able to enter the United States on June 5, 2026, smoothly, with the exception of two individuals who underwent additional scrutiny procedures. Sources indicated that one of these individuals was star Ayman Hussein, who faced an exceptional interrogation.

Regarding the details of the procedures, the embassy stated that the entry of one of the two individuals was completed after the investigation concluded, while the entry of the other individual was not possible for reasons described as private. It clarified that these reasons are related to the immigration systems in force with the competent US authorities at airports.

The Iraqi diplomatic mission stressed that entry procedures fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the US immigration authorities as an independent body. It added that these laws are applied according to specific standards that are not subject to external interference from political or diplomatic parties.

On the international level, the famous French journalist Romain Molina entered the crisis, strongly criticizing the actions of the US authorities towards the Iraqi player. Molina considered that dealing with an international top scorer in this manner reflects clear discrimination based on nationality.

Molina questioned in his statements the legal justifications that allow a professional athlete to be treated as if he poses a security threat merely because of a political photo on his phone. He pointed out that this type of procedure violates individual rights and affects the reputation of international sports competitions.

In the Iraqi street, social media platforms were flooded with angry reactions from fans and activists who considered the incident an insult to Iraqi football. Bloggers called for the necessity of providing greater diplomatic protection for national team players during their foreign trips to represent the country.

It is worth noting that the Iraqi national team is in the United States as part of its preparations for upcoming football commitments, with great hopes placed by the public on top scorer Ayman Hussein. This incident once again highlights the complexities of travel procedures faced by Iraqi citizens at Western airports.

The player was treated as if he were a terrorist, and being Iraqi seemed sufficient to deprive him of his rights and to be dealt with in this manner.