Iraqi Photographer Denied Entry to US Ahead of World Cup

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi sports photographer assigned to cover his country's national football team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was denied entry to the United States after being held for approximately 10 hours at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Talal Salah was questioned by U.S. immigration authorities and had his electronic devices examined before being formally turned away and returned to Baghdad via a connecting flight through Madrid. The decision removed Iraq's official World Cup photographer from the squad ahead of the tournament, which marks the country's first World Cup participation in 40 years. Iraqi football fans reacted to the development on social media, noting Salah's absence when the team arrived in Chicago. Team captain Aymen Hussein was also questioned by U.S. authorities for roughly seven hours but was ultimately permitted entry. The specific grounds for Salah's denial of entry were not publicly disclosed.