The 2026 World Cup hasn't kicked off yet, and some teams are already fighting just to get into the country. A pattern of detentions, bag searches, visa denials and geopolitical complications is making the US border a story in its own right — and not a flattering one.
Iraq's players weren't exactly welcomed
The most striking confirmed case involves Iraq. Forward Aymen Hussein — one of the team's key attacking players — was held for several hours at Chicago O'Hare Airport, questioned, and had his phone examined before being allowed entry. His teammate in misfortune was the team's photographer, Talal Salah, who endured more than 10 hours of detention before being denied entry entirely. US Customs and Border Protection told CBS News he was turned away due to "vetting concerns."
It didn't stop there. Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan — appointed by FIFA for World Cup duties — was also denied entry to the US ahead of the tournament. A referee selected by the sport's governing body, turned back at the door of the host nation.
Footage circulating online appears to show Uzbekistan's squad — including staff connected to former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro — lined up with sniffer dogs and screened with metal detector wands after landing. Separate clips appear to show Senegal's players on the airport tarmac going through inspections shortly after arrival. Newsweek, which reported several of these incidents, was unable to independently verify all the footage, but football journalist Micky Jnr confirmed he personally took the photos of the Senegal situation that spread across social media.
Iran's situation goes deeper than airport delays
Iran's challenges aren't just about border queues. The squad has been forced to base itself in Mexico and commute into the US for matches, because several support staff members were denied entry altogether. Players were granted visas, but under restrictions that in some cases reportedly limit their time in the country to match days only.
Then Iran's football federation announced their allocation of World Cup tickets had been withdrawn just days before their opening game against New Zealand on June 15. Iranian state media called it "contrary to the principles" of fairness in international competition. Whether you agree with that framing or not, pulling a team's fan allocation days before their first match is a significant logistical and political statement.
- Iraq forward Aymen Hussein detained for hours at O'Hare; phone inspected
- Iraq team photographer denied entry after 10+ hours detention
- FIFA-appointed Somali referee denied US entry
- Uzbekistan players reportedly screened with dogs and wands on arrival
- Senegal squad photographed undergoing tarmac inspections
- Iran support staff denied entry; squad based in Mexico
- Iran's World Cup ticket allocation reportedly withdrawn before June 15 opener
- South Africa's preparations disrupted by separate visa delays in Mexico
What this means before a ball is kicked
The US is planning one of the most security-intensive World Cups ever staged — AI surveillance, biometric screening, robotic crowd monitoring. That posture exists for legitimate reasons. But there's a difference between rigorous security and a welcome that treats World Cup squads like security threats by default.
For any team that's had key staff denied entry or players rattled by hours of questioning on arrival, the disruption to preparation is real. Coaching setups, logistics, team cohesion — all of it takes a hit when people you rely on aren't in the building. Iran operating from Mexico rather than a US base camp is not a minor inconvenience; it's a structural disadvantage in a competition where preparation margins matter.
Several incidents remain unverified or without official response — the Uzbekistan Football Association and Senegalese Football Federation had not commented at time of writing, and the Department of Homeland Security hadn't responded to Newsweek either. But the volume and consistency of reports coming from multiple teams across multiple entry points suggests this isn't a series of isolated coincidences.
US Customs and Border Protection stated plainly that Iraq's team photographer was denied entry due to "vetting concerns." That's the policy working as designed. The question the tournament will keep running into is whether a policy designed for one context fits — or should fit — a global sporting event where 32 nations were invited to come.
