Jordan’s World Cup Debut Turns Into a National Celebration

Jordan is preparing for a historic first World Cup appearance, 80 years after gaining independence. The national team, known as Al-Nashama, will open in Group J against Austria on Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. California time, then face Algeria on June 23 and Argentina on June 28. Coach Jamal Sellami, a Moroccan who took over in 2024 and led Jordan to the tournament in North America, has been granted honorary Jordanian citizenship.

The buildup has been marked by strong royal involvement. Crown Prince Hussein visited the squad in San Diego after the team’s camp began in Amman on May 21 and then moved to the United States, including a 10-day stay in San Diego before training in Portland. In a beIN SPORTS interview, Hussein said, “For me, what matters is next week and we have great confidence in the team,” adding that Jordan’s recent football success had given the country a feeling it had never experienced and an opportunity to present Jordanian and Arab culture to the world.

Israeli academic Prof. Ronen Yitzhak told ynet that this is being treated as a national event because Ali bin Hussein, King Abdullah’s brother, heads the Jordanian Football Association. He said public employees were allowed to arrive three hours late on match days, and Jordan later announced work could begin at 10:00 a.m. on those days to support the team’s historic debut and let fans watch.

Jordanian fans, speaking anonymously to ynet and in an Anadolu interview, described the team as a source of pride and a way to escape the economic situation, fighting, and the Palestinian issue. The football association has also been posting training photos and, on June 6, released an official anthem declaring, “Cheer for Al-Nashama, Jordan kept its promise.” Jordan joins Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq as Arab teams in the expanded 48-team World Cup.