Back
Arun - June 4, 2026
Jordan make their first ever World Cup appearance at the 2026 tournament and it is one of the great qualification stories in Asian football. After a decade of near-misses, Jamal Sellami’s side finished second in the AFC third round behind South Korea and secured their place with a 3-0 win over Oman on June 5, 2025.
They join Cape Verde, Curacao and Uzbekistan as first-time participants in the biggest football tournament on the planet.
Jordan are drawn in Group J of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Argentina, Algeria and Austria. For all our World Cup 2026 predictions and analysis visit LeagueLane.
The draw handed Jordan the hardest possible group. They face reigning world champions Argentina, an Algeria side returning after 12 years away and an Austrian team under one of the most respected coaches in European football.
The odds are stacked against them. But Jordan arrive with a clear identity, a disciplined system and one player in Mousa Al-Tamari who is capable of changing a game against anyone in this group.
Appearances: 1 | Best finish: First World Cup appearance (2026)
Jordan have no World Cup history to draw on because this is their first appearance. The nation has been attempting to qualify since the 1986 tournament and failed on ten previous occasions. The breakthrough in 2025 was the result of years of investment in the national team, a growing domestic league and a generation of players with European experience at the top of the squad.
The qualification campaign tells the story of a team that grew in confidence as the games went on. They started poorly, drawing with Kuwait and going through difficult moments in the early rounds. But as the campaign progressed, they found their level. Consecutive wins over South Korea, Iraq and Oman in the crucial third round established them as genuine contenders for one of Asia’s direct spots. They finished second in the group on June 5, 2025, when their 3-0 win over Oman combined with Iraq’s failure to beat Kuwait confirmed their place. Sellami was granted Jordanian citizenship by royal decree in December 2025. The moment meant that much.
Beyond qualifying, Jordan reached the final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar and the final of the 2025 Arab Cup, losing to Morocco on both occasions. This squad knows what it is to compete at the highest level of Asian and Arab football. The World Cup is a different challenge entirely but the experience of those finals will count for something when the pressure is highest.
Sellami was born in Casablanca and represented Morocco at the 1998 World Cup in France as a midfielder. He played for Raja Casablanca and Besiktas before retiring and moving into management. He took the Jordan job in August 2024, replacing Hussein Ammouta, and became the first manager to take Jordan to a World Cup in his very first senior international job outside Morocco.
His inspiration is openly stated. He has spoken about Morocco’s run to the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup and frames Jordan’s ambitions through that lens. He builds teams to be compact, organised and dangerous on the counter-attack. Jordan conceded only four goals across the entire third round of Asian qualifying. That defensive solidity is Sellami’s calling card. He is pragmatic, calm and deeply respected by his players. After he led Jordan to this historic qualification, the Jordanian Football Association awarded him citizenship. It was a measure of what the achievement meant.
Formation: 3-4-2-1 / 5-4-1 out of possession
Sellami uses a compact 3-4-2-1 in possession that becomes a rigid 5-4-1 when Jordan are without the ball. The three centre-backs provide a solid defensive base. The wing-backs provide width in attack and tuck in to form a five-man defensive line when needed. Al-Tamari and one other forward sit behind the striker, ready to exploit space on the counter. The system demands discipline and concentration for long periods when Jordan face the ball.
Jordan’s game plan is clear. Defend deep and well for as long as possible. Win the ball back quickly in organised blocks. Release Al-Tamari and Ali Olwan on the break with as much space as possible. Score from a set piece or a counter-attack. Repeat. Against Argentina, Austria and Algeria that plan will be tested for 90 minutes in each game. Jordan’s ability to maintain their shape and concentration under sustained pressure is the key factor in how they perform in this group.
Al-Tamari is the best player Jordan has ever produced and the one player in this squad capable of producing a moment of genuine quality against any opponent in Group J. He plays for Rennes in Ligue 1 and became the first Jordanian to score in a top-five European league when he was at Montpellier. His pace, his directness and his dribbling ability make him a constant threat when Jordan are on the counter-attack. He scored six goals and provided six assists for Rennes in the 2025-26 season. He is widely regarded as the Jordanian Messi by supporters and the nickname, while ambitious, speaks to the esteem in which he is held. In a group game where Jordan are defending and waiting for their moment, one piece of brilliance from Al-Tamari could change everything.
Olwan is Jordan’s top international scorer with 29 goals and the player who scored the hat-trick that sealed qualification against Oman. He is the third-highest scorer in Asian World Cup qualifying with nine goals in the third round alone. He plays for Al-Hussein in the Jordanian domestic league and his level of weekly competition is well below what he will face in Group J. What he brings is a proven ability to score goals under pressure in the biggest moments Jordan has experienced. His finishing quality and movement in the penalty area are the best of any striker in this squad. If Jordan score in this tournament, there is every chance it comes from Olwan.
Haddad captains Jordan and is the defensive leader that Sellami’s system is built around. He plays as the central of the three centre-backs and provides the organisation, communication and leadership that keeps Jordan’s defensive shape intact for long periods. He has been central to the qualification campaign and his experience and authority at the back gives the whole team a platform to defend from. Against Argentina and Algeria he will face the biggest test of his career but he has the composure and the preparation to handle it.
Al-Arab plays for FC Seoul in the K League and is one of the more experienced internationals in this squad at club level. He operates in midfield and provides the work rate and defensive discipline that Sellami’s system demands from the middle of the pitch. His experience of playing in a competitive Asian professional league sets him apart from the majority of his domestically-based teammates and his understanding of the tactical demands at this level gives Jordan a technical platform in central areas.
Abu Laila is Jordan’s first-choice goalkeeper and the last line of defence in a system that will face sustained pressure in every game of this group. He plays for Al-Hussein in the Jordanian league and while his club football is well below the level of what he will face in North America, his international experience and his shot-stopping quality have been central to Jordan’s ability to keep clean sheets throughout qualification. Against the attacking quality of Messi, Mahrez and Sabitzer he will face his greatest career test.
Jordan will finish fourth in Group J. That is the honest assessment and it is not a criticism. They are one of four first-time nations at this tournament and they face the world champions, a 12-year World Cup absentee with real attacking quality and a side under one of the best tactical minds in European football. The quality gap is significant and it will show over three games.
The Austria opener on June 16 in Santa Clara is Jordan’s best chance of a result. Austria are favourites but Rangnick’s side has never experienced a World Cup before either and if Jordan can keep it tight in the first 30 minutes and use Al-Tamari on the counter, there is a game to be had. The Algeria fixture is the one where Jordan could make life uncomfortable if Petkovic’s side are already thinking about the Austria decider. The Argentina game is the occasion of a lifetime for Jordanian football and everything else that happens in this group is secondary to that.
For a betting angle, Jordan to keep a clean sheet in at least one of their three games offers value. Sellami’s defensive system is the best-drilled in the group at sitting back and absorbing pressure and if Austria are complacent on June 16, it is far from impossible. Back Al-Tamari to score at some point in the tournament. The price will be generous and he is good enough to take any chance that comes his way.
