Who is Aymen Hussein? Iraq star scores at World Cup 2026 after US immigration interrogation

Aymen Hussein has created history for Iraq by scoring at the World Cup 2026 just days after being interrogated for hours after arriving in Chicago.

The striker was held and faced seven hours of questioning at the O’Hare airport upon arrival two weeks ago, according to an Iraqi sporting official.

The Iraq national team had been greeted by their fans upon arrival at the airport, with flags waved and players seen posing for pictures but reports from Reuters states that Hussein’s phone was inspected after he arrived.

Though Hussein was finally allowed in, the national team’s photographer was denied entry to the United States, claimed an official who works for the Iraqi Olympic Committee.

“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 explained.

Hussein, who has overcome tragedy during his life after his father was murdered when he was just 12, has been a vital part of Iraq’s recent success, qualifying for a first World Cup since 1986, including the clinching goal to take them to this summer’s tournament.

And his goal in Foxborough cancelled out Erling Haaland’s opener in the Group I contest, though the Man City striker put Norway back in front.

Reaching the World Cup was a family affair as Hussein was encouraged by his mother to follow his “dream” and is now the prominent striker for Iraq along with Ipswich Town’s Ali Al-Hamadi, Ali Jassim and Youssef Amyn.

“I decided to quit playing football to take care of my family, but my mother refused,” Hussein said. “She asked me to continue playing.”

The 30-year-old is Iraq’s most expensive footballer and had featured for Qatar’s Al Khor club before returning to his home country to join Al Karma, with a contract worth a reported $1m.

“Honestly, I was ready to play for free,” Hussein states. “You may not imagine what it meant to me to play with players from the Iraqi national team at that time. Playing with Dohuk was the dream of my life at that time.”