Number of past World Cup appearances: 0
Player to watch: Moussa Tamari
FIFA World Ranking: 63rd
Jordan will be playing in a World Cup final for the first time and Moroccan coach Jamal Selami will be hoping his players emulate the Atlas Lions’ heroics four years ago.
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“In big tournaments, many teams can be surprised. My country, Morocco, reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup,” Reuters quoted him as saying during Turkiye’s training camp in Antalya in late March.
“That gives us faith.”
While reaching the semifinals may be a little optimistic, Jordan is heading into the tournament in good form.
The Middle Eastern country reached the final of the 2023 Asian Cup, but lost to hosts Qatar, and the 2025 Arab Cup, where they faced Morocco in the final, but narrowly lost 3-2 in extra time.
Jordan also scored 32 goals in World Cup qualifying, marking his highest score in a single qualifying campaign. However, eight of those goals were scored by Yazan Arnemat, who will miss this summer’s competition due to injury.
Cerami leads Jordan to the big time
Since Selami took over as coach in June 2024, al-Nashama, or “Noble Ones”, have grown into a significant force in Arab football, building on the achievements of his predecessor, compatriot Hussein Amoutah.
Selami believes the team he has built can make the same impact as when Algeria defeated Germany in 1982, when Cameroon defeated reigning champions Argentina in 1990 and when Senegal repeated the feat against champions France in 2002.
“This result opens horizons of hope and ambition for our fans, so they can dream,” Selami, who played for Morocco at the 1998 World Cup, told Arabian sports channel TFK.
“And we also have the right to dream, strive for a strong team and present ourselves well,” he added.
The 55-year-old former midfielder has built a well-organized and disciplined team that utilizes a wealth of creative forward talent to attack opponents with lightning-fast transitions during the break.
Star striker absent
Jordan’s qualifying campaign offers a lot of hope heading into this summer’s tournament, but the North American team will be missing a big part of what made it such a force in the Asian qualifiers.
Forward Yazan Arnemat contributed to eight goals, but injured his anterior cruciate ligament in the Arab Cup quarterfinals last December, forcing him to miss the World Cup finals.
“Yazan is an irreplaceable player,” Cerami admitted. “But we will find a combination of teams that can still be dangerous for the opponent and it will also balance our defensive performance.”
Ali Orwan, who is likely to replace Arnemat, has recovered sufficiently from his Achilles injury to be able to join Serami’s expansion squad. He scored nine goals in qualifying, highlighting the depth of Jordan’s attacking options.
‘Jordan’s Messi’ wants to shine
Captain Moussa Tamari is one of Jordan’s biggest attacking threats and will be looking to torment defenders on the right.
The 28-year-old Rennes midfielder is the only Jordanian player to compete in one of Europe’s top five leagues and is having a good season in France, scoring seven goals and providing 11 assists in 36 appearances in Ligue 1.
He is also an important player at international level, scoring 23 goals in 76 appearances for the Jordanian national team.
If Jordan is to defy expectations at this summer’s World Cup, it will have to rely heavily on the man known as “Jordan’s Messi.”
What is Jordan’s group like?
Defending champion Argentina will be a formidable opponent in Jordan’s final Group J match, and the real Messi will face off against Jordan’s opponent.
Selami’s team will face Austria in the opening game in San Francisco, marking the European nation’s first appearance at the World Cup since 1998.
Jordan are the lowest-ranked team in their group, but perhaps their best chance of success comes against Algeria, the second-lowest team.
The African team has won eight games in World Cup qualifying and will look to Riyad Mahrez for goals and assists.
Jordan group stage match dates and kickoff times:
⚽ June 16: Austria vs. Jordan (San Francisco Bay Area, USA), 9:00 p.m. (June 17, 4:00 a.m. Japan time).
⚽ June 22: Jordan vs. Algeria (San Francisco Bay Area, USA), 8:00 p.m. (3:00 a.m. June 23, Japan time).
⚽ June 27: Jordan vs. Argentina (Dallas, Texas, USA), 9:00 p.m. (2:00 a.m. Japan time, June 28).
Here are Al Jazeera’s predictions:
It will be a battle for third place in the group, but in the end it may be impossible for Jordan to qualify for the knockouts.
full team
Goalkeepers: Yazeed Abulaila (Al Hussein), Abdullah Al Fakhoury (Al Wehdat), Noor Bani Attia (Al Faisali).
Defender: Abdallah Nassib (Al Zaura), Ehsan Haddad, Saeed Al Rosan, Saleem Obaid (Al Hussein), Yazan Al Arab (FC Seoul), Mohammad Abu Alna Di (Selangor), Hussam Abu Dahab, Anas Banawi (Al Faisali), Mohanad Abu Taha (Al Quwa Al Jawiya), Mohammad Abu Hasheesh (Al Karma).
Midfielders: Noor Al Rawabde (Selangor), Nizar Al Rashdan (Qatar), Ibrahim Saadeh (Al Karma), Rajaei Ayed, Mahmoud Almardi (Al Hussein), Amer Jams (Al Zawrah), Mohammad Al Daoud (Al Wehdat).
Forwards: Moussa Tamari (Rennes), Odeh Al Fakhoury (Pyramids), Mohammad Abu Zuraiq (Raja Casablanca), Ali Azayzeh (Al Shabaab), Ibrahim Sabra (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Ali Orwan (Al Sairiya).
