Photo of Kevin De Bruyne Being Searched During World Cup Immigration Process Goes Viral
Kevin De Bruyne has unexpectedly become part of the wider conversation around World Cup travel issues in the United States. A photo of the Belgium national team star being searched during the immigration process has gone viral, adding to growing talk about the difficulties some players, staff, and fans have faced while entering the country for the tournament.
De Bruyne was arriving to join Belgium's World Cup campaign, but the image quickly caught attention online because it showed even one of soccer's biggest names going through extra checks. With several similar stories already emerging, the moment has sparked fresh debate about how smoothly World Cup arrivals are being handled.
A photo shared on X shows the Belgian star sitting on a chair while being scanned by immigration. Needless to say, the photo generated a lot of buzz amongst fans online.
The treatment Kevin de Bruyne received upon arrival into the US pic.twitter.com/HXux2jHLPS
— World Cup HQ (@WorldCup26HQ) June 9, 2026
A fan said, "what kind of treatment is this, is it a medical treatment or emotional treatment or humiliation treatment."
"But they were crying about qatar 2022"- said a fan.
With a more light hearted approach on the issue a fan added, "Tbf he does have a rocket of a right foot."
"If they do this treatment to Messi and Ronaldo we should boycott the World Cup immediately"- commented a fan.
Wondering what is in store for the fans planning to fly in a fan said, "They gonna do this to Millions of fans?"
A suspicious fan said, "Surely it's just a tactic to mess and disrupt the players, an odd thing to do but."
De Bruyne's viral photo has landed in the middle of a much bigger World Cup travel headache.
This tournament has already produced several awkward entry issues before the opening games have even settled in. A referee selected for the competition was unable to continue after being stopped from entering the United States, while Iran's camp has reportedly dealt with visa problems involving members of its staff and officials.
There have also been individual cases that have raised eyebrows. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was reportedly held and questioned for several hours before being cleared, while a team photographer was not allowed through after a long wait and a phone check.
Not every delay has been political or security-related, though. South Africa's travel plans were disrupted because some paperwork was not properly sorted before departure, creating an embarrassing setback before their campaign.
Switzerland also had to deal with a late issue involving Breel Embolo, who needed last-minute approval before linking up with the squad.
So while De Bruyne's case has gone viral because of his profile, it fits into a wider pattern of messy World Cup arrivals.
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