Jordan have qualified for a World Cup for the first time in their history. A national team that has been trying since the 1970s, that reached the 2023 Asian Cup final and lost to Qatar by a single three-penalty swing, has finally broken through. They arrive in North America in Group J — Argentina, Algeria, Austria — which is about as difficult as any World Cup debut gets. Coach Jamal Sellami, the Moroccan who signed in June 2024 and delivered something no Jordan manager had done before, leads a squad built around Musa Al-Taamari of Stade Rennais and a generation of players scattered across Jordan, the Gulf, Southeast Asia and the lower divisions of European football. Key players Yazan Al-Naimat and Al-Quraishi are absent through injury. The tournament begins June 16 against Austria in Santa Clara.
How Jordan Got Here — Forty Years of Trying, One Campaign That Changed Everything
Jordan's World Cup qualification story is one of the longest-running near-misses in Asian football. They had come close before — playoff appearances, agonising single-goal exits — but had never made it through to a final tournament. Jamal Sellami, appointed in June 2024, finished the job by guiding Jordan to second place in AFC Qualification Group B in the third round, securing automatic qualification.
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup run gave the team belief that could not have been manufactured any other way. Jordan beat defending champions Australia 1-0 in the group stage, topped their group, defeated Tajikistan in the quarters, and then stunned South Korea 2-0 in the semi-finals — a result that shocked the continent. In the final against hosts Qatar, they lost 3-1 as Akram Afif converted three penalties. The narrow margin of that loss, and the quality of the performance to reach it, defined the squad's self-image going into the World Cup qualification campaign.
Notable absences in the final squad include Yazan Al-Naimat — who scored the goal against South Korea in the Asian Cup semi-final — and Al-Quraishi, both ruled out through injury. Their absence is significant: Al-Naimat in particular had become one of the squad's most important attackers. Sellami has named a 26-man group that compensates with depth across the forward positions rather than any single replacement.
Key Players to Watch
The Official Squad: Rennais' Al-Taamari, Raja's Abu Zrayq, Zagreb's Sabra and a Goalkeeper Core Built on Al-Hussein SC
Jordan's three goalkeepers reflect the domestic nature of the squad. Yazeed Abulaila (Al-Hussein SC) is the expected starter, with Abdallah Al-Fakhouri (Al-Wehdat) and Nour Bani Attiah (Al-Faisaly Amman) as backups. All three are Jordan Pro League-based, and the consistency they provide as a unit is built on knowing the system and the players in front of them.
The nine defenders span an unusually wide geographic range for a squad of this profile. Mo Abualnadi plays in Malaysia for Selangor FC. Yazan Al-Arab is at FC Seoul in South Korea. Mohannad Abu Taha, who draws interest from Moroccan clubs, is at Al Quwa Al Jawiya in Iraq. Abdallah Nasib is at Al-Zawraa. The rest — Husam Abu Dahab, Anas Badawi at Al-Faisaly Amman, Saed Al-Rosan, Ihsan Haddad, Salim Obaid at Al-Hussein SC, and Mohammad Abu Hashish at Al-Karma — are spread across the Jordanian top flight. The variety of competitive environments they come from gives Sellami options but makes cohesion a challenge.
The midfield of seven is shaped by Jordanian and Gulf football. Mohammad Al-Dawoud and Amer Jamous, both from Al-Wehdat, are the domestic engine alongside Ibrahim Sadeh at Al-Karma and Rajaei Ayed at Al-Hussein SC. Nizar Al-Rashdan brings Qatar SC experience. Noor Al-Rawabdeh, like Abualnadi, plays for Selangor in Malaysia. Mohannad Abu Taha fills the left-back role with his Al Quwa Al Jawiya sharpness.
The seven forwards are where Jordan's best football has always lived. Musa Al-Taamari (Stade Rennais) is the creative centrepiece. Mohammad Abu Zrayq at Raja Casablanca is the direct striker option. Ibrahim Sabra at Lokomotiva Zagreb brings Croatian league quality. Odeh Al-Fakhouri at Pyramids FC in Egypt adds North African football experience. Ali Olwan at Al-Sailiya in Qatar and Ali Azaizeh at Al-Shabab complete the group alongside top scorer Mahmoud Al-Mardi of Al-Hussein SC.
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria — The Hardest Possible Debut Draw
Jordan were drawn into Group J alongside Argentina, Algeria and Austria — a group that contains the reigning world champions, an AFCON-quality African side and a high-pressing European team under Rangnick. It is the most demanding possible context for a first World Cup appearance.
The fixtures: June 16 vs Austria at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara; June 22 vs Algeria at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara; June 27 vs Argentina at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The opening match against Austria is the group's most realistic chance of a result. Rangnick's side are technically superior on paper but are not a side that steamrolls opponents — Jordan's compact defensive structure has frustrated better teams before. The Algeria match on June 22 is the second window. The Argentina match on June 27 is, in competitive terms, the hardest match Jordan will ever have played.
World Cup History
One to Watch — Musa Al-Taamari
Prediction
Think you know how Jordan will do at World Cup 2026?
Pick every match from the group stage to the Final on July 19. Free to play — predictions lock June 11.
World Cup 2026 Bracket Predictor →Collect the WC 2026 Sticker Album
Track your Panini collection, mark duplicates, and find trade partners worldwide.
Open Sticker Album →