Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about Jordan

Get the lowdown on every team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at debutants Jordan.

What can I expect from Jordan?

Moroccan head coach Jamal Sellami was gifted Jordanian citizenship by King Abdullah II in December for his role in guiding Jordan to a first ever World Cup and his direct, counter-attacking style is well suited to tournament football.

Jordan have dispatched teams with greater pedigree in the past few years to reach both the Asian and Arab Cup finals.

But allowing opponents to dictate possession could prove counterproductive when taking on the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina. They will face the defending champions in their final group match, but in many ways the pressure is already off.

Sellami's men achieved legend status by reaching these finals and will return home as heroes regardless of what happens in Dallas on the 28th June.

What are Jordan's strengths?

They are an excellent counter-attacking side. Jordan are more than happy to sit deep, cede possession and pick their moment.

The Arab Cup finalists will be well prepared and this nucleus of this squad has played together for a number of years.

They also scored a national record 32 goals during the qualification campaign.

And what about their weaknesses?

Star striker Yazan Al-Naimat is out after suffering a serious knee injury in December. The target man scored nine goals in qualifying and head coach Jamal Sellami says he "cannot be replaced".

They are vulnerable to opposition counters and the ease at which they were carved open in the 4-1 loss to Switzerland on the eve of the tournament will give Sellami sleepless nights.

How might Jordan line up?

Which players should I look out for?

Rennes winger Musa Al-Tamari is the only member of this squad playing in a major European league. He was known as 'the Jordanian Messi' and will have a chance to meet the legend himself at the end of June.

Ibrahim Sabra is one of Jordan's brightest prospects and although he might not start, Yazan Al-Naimat's injury should increase his gametime. The stocky forward is seriously quick and in 2025 he won the 100m sprint at the Jordan national championships with a time of 11.44 seconds.

Uncompromising centre-back Yazan Al-Arab is a key defensive pillar of this side and a threat from set pieces. His aggressive nature can sometimes spill over and in 2023 he was handed a lifetime ban by the FA of Malaysia for kicking a referee.

Who is Jordan's head coach?

Moroccan Jamal Sellami took over June 2024 and guided Jordan to their first ever World Cup after only a year in the job.

He followed that by reaching a maiden Arab Cup final in December. His side suffered a 3-2 loss to Morocco in that match, but shortly afterwards he was granted Jordanian citizenship by King Abdullah II for services to football.

The former defensive midfielder or a defender was capped 19 times by his country and featured at the 1998 World Cup in France.

How did Jordan qualify?

A 3-0 victory over Oman last June, coupled with South Korea's win over Iraq, sealed an automatic qualifying spot and first World Cup finals appearance.

Where can I watch Jordan?

All of Jordan's matches will also be covered live on the BBC Sport website and app with updates, analysis, and fan reaction. Come and be part of it!

Give me a fact to impress my friends

Harry Redknapp took charge of Jordan in 2016.

The former Spurs and West Ham manager accepted the role on an interim basis for two crucial World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Australia.

His side won their first game 8-0 but suffered a 5-1 defeat to the Socceroos which extinguished any hopes of reaching the 2018 tournament.

"They were on a different level to us," said Redknapp after the match.

Now give me some proper detail

The kingdom of Jordan is known for its rich and complex history, but never has it been associated with the upper echelons of world football. Until now.

Jordan qualified for their first World Cup last year. A comfortable 3-0 win in Oman on 5th June 2025 sealed their passage and they finished second in a group which contained continental powerhouses South Korea.

Head coach Jamal Sellami's 3-4-3 formation – which often resembles a 5-4-1 – was highly effective and they scored a national record 32 goals, with many coming from swift counter attacks. In fact, no other side in the third round of Asian qualifying attempted more direct attacks. They also enjoyed an average of just 40.2% possession and only China, with 33.4%, had less of the ball.

Their success has sent Jordan football mad and Prime Minister Jafar Hassan recently signed a decree that allows public sector workers to start late so they can watch all the matches and "rally" behind the team.

The celebrations that followed their historic qualification in cities like Irbid and the capital Amman went on for at least a fortnight and those same fanatical fans will now be hoping that their heroes can extend their World Cup stay into week two and beyond.

How have Jordan done at previous World Cups?

This is their World Cup debut after failing to qualify in 10 previous attempts.

Jordan are vying to become the first team to reach the knockout stage on their maiden appearance since Slovakia in 2010 and first Asian side since Saudi Arabia in USA '94.