Jordan won eight of their 16 qualification games, drawing five and losing three to reach their first World Cup [Getty Images] When they face world champions Argentina in their final group match on 27 June, it may be Jordan's own World Cup final. But it will also be the deserved destination after decades of dreams, changing strategies, near misses and surprising managerial appointments – including two English football stalwarts. Jordan are one of four nations making their debut at the 2026 World Cup , with the country mad about football but lacking the success to match. Their tournament begins against Austria (Wednesday 05:00 BST, live on the BBC) and could culminate against Argentina - Lionel Messi et al - unless they cause a surprise by reaching the knockout stage. This first appearance on football's biggest stage has been a long time coming. "In my childhood, I was brought up with the fact that Jordan is a home of football talent," Mustafa Arqawi, former communications director for the Jordan Football Association, told BBC Sport. "It was talent that I used to see every day in schoolyards, alleyways and streets. "Like almost every Jordanian citizen, I grew up with an unequivocal passion and a dream for our national team to compete at the top level." After gaining independence from the United Kingdom following World War Two, Jordan played their first international football match in 1953 – a 3-1 defeat to Syria. However, they did not enter World Cup qualifying until attempting to reach the 1986 tournament. They beat Qatar 1-0 at home for their first qualifying win but lost their other three matches and missed out. Until this year, the closest Jordan came to qualifying for the World Cup finals was in 2014. They fought their way through the byzantine Asian Football Confederation system, including two group stages, with notable home wins against Japan and Australia. Jordan reached the inter-confederation play-off against Uruguay, with the winner going to Brazil 2014. But it was no contest, as a Uruguay side featuring Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani swept to a 5-0 aggregate win. Jordan played 20 matches in 2014 World Cup qualifying, all for naught. What this adventure did, however, was put Jordan on the global football map and allowed them to attract some notable coaching names. In September 2014, the Jordan Football Association (JFA) prepared for 2018 World Cup qualifying by hiring former England captain Ray Wilkins as manager. 'Everything needed to be fine-tuned' Wilkins led Jordan to the 2015 Asian Cup, but following an exit at the group stage he was lured away by the offer of becoming Aston Villa assistant manager under Tim Sherwood. This sparked a period of turmoil, as Jordan went through three managers in less than a year and failed to even emulate their close call of 2014. The last of the appointments was that of Harry Redknapp, parachuted in for the final two matches of the second-round group stage, with only the winner progressing to the next round. Harry Redknapp was signed on a two-game contract to try to help Jordan qualify for the 2018 World Cup [Getty Images] The second game was Australia away – a winner-takes-all clash. Jordan lost 5-1, and Redknapp's time in charge ended after two games. Hiring Wilkins and Redknapp as coaches was the brainchild of former JFA president, Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein , who challenged Sepp Blatter for the Fifa presidency in 2015. But the failure led to a rethink in the JFA, and instigated an approach based less on eye-catching names and more on long-term strategy and culture. Since Redknapp, Jordan have had seven managers – six of them have been from predominantly Arabic nations, with two from Jordan itself. "I basically witnessed a strategic goal evolving from blueprints on drawing board into a tangible result," said Arqawi. "I observed top level talent management, and operational optimisation. It was a transformation built on lean management and restructuring of priorities and resources. "In a nutshell, I witnessed how everything that had been right for many years needed just to be fine-tuned and arranged into its ideal form to achieve its full potential." A connection to Morocco – the first Arabic nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals, at Qatar 2022 – has proved fruitful. The emergence of Jordan as a regional power and a World Cup qualification contender started with the June 2023 appointment of Moroccan coach Hussein Ammouta. He brought a belief and discipline, playing into Jordan's status as continental underdogs with a solid defence and devastating counter-attack. That was witnessed in the 2023 Asian Cup. Having never won a knockout game at the tournament before, Jordan scored twice in stoppage time to beat Iraq 3-2 in the quarter-finals before stunning South Korea 2-0 in the semis. The Koreans, whose stellar attacking talents included Son Heung-min, failed to have a shot on target. Jordan lost the final 3-1 to Qatar – conceding three penalties for the goals – and Ammouta left in June 2024, but the foundations were there. Another Moroccan coach, Jamal Sellami, pounced on the loose ball and has delivered. Jordan finished above Saudi Arabia in the first group stage during an impressive 2026 qualification campaign, before a runners-up spot to South Korea in the second round was enough to earn a spot at the expanded World Cup. 'The team is a source of national pride' Musa Al-Taamari, now of Rennes, has been playing in Europe since 2018 [Getty Images] Yes, Jordan have benefited from the World Cup becoming a 48-team tournament, but qualification still has to be earned - just ask Italy. For a country of just over 11 million people – 0.7% of the population of China, a continental rival who will not be at the World Cup – to reach their debut World Cup is no mean feat for Jordan. "This achievement comes after years of hard work from players and the Jordan FA," said Sellami, after the team's place in the final was made certain with a 3-0 win over Oman. "This historic qualification is for all the people who believed in us." Jordan have prepared by taking on World Cup regulars. In the March international break, they earned 2-2 draws against Costa Rica and Nigeria – two more nations you would expect at a World Cup, but who missed out while the Jordanians progressed. They have since lost to Switzerland and Colombia in warm-up friendlies before their opening group match against Austria in San Francisco (Wednesday 05:00 BST). Jordan have been placed in Group J, a tricky pool also featuring Algeria and Argentina. If they progress, it will need an A-grade performance. They have the benefit of the first two games both being in Santa Clara, California, allowing a base for Jordan's fans while the team travel down from their temporary headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Then on 27 June, in Arlington, Texas, comes the date with the Argentines. Jordan's standout player is captain and leading goal threat Musa Al-Taamari, who plays for Rennes in Ligue 1. He told BBC World Service: "For us, it's not about the money, it's about the jersey. What we have. We have Jordan in our heart. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Emirates - they have good money, they have really good teams but for us, like I say, we just play for us to be happy. You give everything." Striker Ali Olwan has 29 senior international goals, making him the joint second highest scorer in Jordanian history. At the back, FC Seoul defender Yazan Al-Arab is the cornerstone, while Qatar SC midfielder Nizar Al-Rashdan is the main playmaker. But after years of false hopes, blind alleys and broken promises, Jordan can finally call themselves a World Cup nation. "What Jordan represents to me as a fan is beyond naming key players, specific coaches or a particular achievement," said Arqawi. "It represents a source of pride."
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