Jordan travel to the World Cup for the first time in their history this summer, as they make their debut at the world’s greatest sporting event.
How Jordan Qualified
Jordan qualified for their maiden World Cup after a sublime qualifying campaign. They made it through their preliminary qualifying group with a strong record – losing just once to Saudi Arabia.
Their strong form continued into the next qualifying phase. They lost just one of their opening nine matches, to a very strong South Korea side. They ultimately sealed qualification with a game to spare, following a 3-0 win against Oman.
Key Player
Jordan’s captain and right winger, Mousa Taamari, is their only player that stars in a top European league. The 28-year-old was the first Jordanian to ever play and score in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
He has spent the past three years in Ligue 1, the top division in France, first with Montpellier then for the past year and a half with Rennes. Taamari also appeared in the Europa League with his previous club, Cypriot side APOEL.
Breakout Potential
Odeh Al-Fakhouri, aged 20, is the youngest player selected in Jordan’s squad and could enjoy a special tournament.
The forward had already attracted attention from Europe prior to moving to top Egyptian side Pyramids FC. The attacker is still in the very early days of his career but does possess some raw potential.
World Cup History
Debutants at the tournament, Jordan’s World Cup history will only begin being written this summer.
The nation first entered the qualification process in 1986. Since then it has been a forty-year wait to actually reach the Word Cup finals. They failed to qualify ten times in a row, before finally reaching their maiden tournament this summer.
Coach Profile: Jamal Sellami
Jamal Sellami has been in charge of Jordan for just two years and has already made history with the nation. Jordanian King Abdullah II has honoured the 55-year-old by granting him citizenship in the country.
Sellami had a successful playing career of his own before turning to management. He spent 12 years as a professional, primarily for clubs in his native Morocco, although he did enjoy a three-year spell with Turkish side Besiktas around the turn of the millennium. He was also capped by Morocco an impressive 38 times.
After a seven-year hiatus following his retirement as a player, Sellami returned to the game as a coach. He spent 13 years managing in the Moroccan top flight, winning the league and twice being named Manager of the Season, before joining Jordan in 2024.
Fun Facts
Located in the Levant region, Jordan possesses a rich history and has been continuously inhabited for more than 200,000 years. It is home to Petra – one of the UNESCO seven wonders of the world, multiple famous biblical sites, the Dead Sea – the lowest point on Earth, and many other fascinating sights.
Fan Culture
Although perhaps not famed for it, Jordan has a thriving fan culture, with almost half of the population considered football fans. The highest-ever attendance for one of their national team matches came in 2024, where they played in front of 86,492 supporters. That match was the AFC Asian Cup final, hosted in Qatar and in the Lusail Stadium which hosted the 2022 World Cup final.
However, there have been many complications for Jordan fans hoping to attend this summer’s World Cup. Supporters have been left in dismay with more than half of them having their US visa applications refused, leaving them unable to attend the tournament.
Group Stage Fixtures
Austria vs Jordan – June 17, 12am ET / 9pm PT
Jordan vs Algeria – June 22, 11pm ET / 8pm PT
Jordan vs Argentina – June 27, 10pm ET / 7pm PT
