Jordan will compete in the World Cup finals for the first time after reaching the Asian Cup 2023 final and winning the Arab Cup 2025. The Middle Eastern team comes into the tournament in strong form, having scored 32 goals in World Cup qualifying – their best-ever tally in a qualifying campaign.
Coach Jamal Sellami, who represented Morocco at the 1998 World Cup, took over in June 2024 and built on the success of his countryman Hussein Ammouta. Sellami believes his team can spring a surprise similar to those of Algeria (1982), Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002) against defending champions.
“Those results opened horizons of hope for fans. We also have the right to dream and work hard to become a strong team that performs well,” Sellami told TFK.
Jordan will be without star striker Yazan Alnemat, who scored eight goals in qualifying, after he suffered a knee ligament injury during the Arab Cup in December 2024. “Yazan is an irreplaceable player,” Sellami admitted. However, Ali Olwan (nine goals in qualifying) has recovered from a heel injury and is ready to step in.
The most notable star is captain Mousa Tamari, 28, a right winger for Rennes in Ligue 1. This season he has scored 7 goals and provided 11 assists in 36 matches. At international level, Tamari has 23 goals in 76 appearances. He is known as the “Messi of Jordan.”
In Group J, Jordan will face Austria (June 16, San Francisco), Algeria (June 22, San Francisco) and Argentina (June 27, Dallas). Defending champions Argentina are the strongest opponent, while the match against Algeria may be Jordan’s best chance to pick up points.
Jordan’s provisional 26-man squad: Goalkeepers: Yazeed Abulaila (Al-Hussein), Abdullah al-Fakhouri (Al-Wehdat), Noor Bani Attiah (Al-Faisaly). Defenders: Abdallah Nasib (Al-Zawraa), Ehsan Haddad, Saed al-Rosan, Saleem Obaid (Al-Hussein), Yazan al-Arab (FC Seoul), Mohammad Abualnadi (Selangor), Husam Abu Dahab, Anas Banawi (Al-Faisaly), Mohannad Abu Taha (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya), Mohammad Abu Hasheesh (Al-Karma). Midfielders: Noor Al-Rawabdeh (Selangor), Nizar al-Rashdan (Qatar), Ibrahim Saadeh (Al-Karma), Rajaei Ayed, Mahmoud Al-Mardi (Al-Hussein), Amer Jamous (Al-Zawraa), Mohammad al-Dawoud (Al-Wehdat). Forwards: Mousa Tamari (Rennes), Odeh al-Fakhouri (Pyramids), Mohammad Abu Zrayq (Raja Casablanca), Ali Azaizeh (Al-Shabab), Ibrahim Sabra (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Ali Olwan (Al-Sailiya).
