Aymen Hussein discusses journey to World Cup after tragedy

Aymen Hussein put the ball in the net on March 31, 2026, and rewrote the trajectory of Iraqi football. His goal in a 2-1 victory over Bolivia secured Iraq’s spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending a 40-year absence from the sport’s biggest stage.

The 30-year-old striker sat down with Al Jazeera to discuss a path marked by personal hardship, national pride, and one very uncomfortable encounter with US immigration authorities.

The goal that changed everything

Iraq hadn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1986. Four decades is a long time for a football-mad nation to wait.

The Bolivia match wasn’t Hussein’s first decisive moment in the qualifying campaign. On September 5, 2024, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Oman, keeping Iraq’s World Cup dreams alive during the earlier rounds of qualification.

Iraq’s most expensive footballer

Hussein carries the unofficial title of Iraq’s “most expensive footballer,” a label earned through his transfer to Al-Karma in July 2025. The move was completed for 1.25 billion Iraqi dinars, a historic fee for the Iraqi domestic league. His current club market value sits at an estimated 400,000 euros.

Prior to the transfer, Hussein had scored 27 league goals in the 2023/24 season with Al Quwa Al Jawiya.

Seven hours at O’Hare

The journey to the World Cup took a dark turn on June 6-7, 2026, when Hussein was detained and questioned by US authorities at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The detention lasted seven hours. Hussein was traveling with the Iraqi national team ahead of the World Cup, which the US is co-hosting. He was eventually cleared to join his teammates, allowing him to compete in the tournament beginning June 11, 2026.

What Hussein’s story means beyond the pitch

Iraq’s return to the World Cup is bigger than football. The 2007 Asian Cup victory, achieved during some of the worst years of sectarian violence, remains one of the most emotionally significant sporting achievements in the region’s history. Hussein’s qualifying goal sits in that same lineage.

His interview with Al Jazeera connects personal sacrifice with collective aspiration. At 30, Hussein is entering the tournament at peak maturity for a striker.

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