Despite Austria being the firm favourites, Jordan will not be lacking in confidence given their recent run of successful results.

 

FIFA World Cup qualification was preceded by a runners-up finish at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ and despite the absence of several key stars, head coach Jamal Sellami has numerous players who he can rely on for a successful campaign.

 

The Moroccan tactician, whose pragmatic structural identity and lethal transitional threat make Jordan difficult to break down, also has built a tireless collective work ethic which can frustrate the toughest of opponents.

Austria, however, will be a step-up in terms of opposition, with the European side equally determined for a winning start in a group which also has defending champions Argentina and Algeria.

Fun Facts

● Jordan will be bidding to become the first team to reach the knockout stage in their debut appearance since Slovakia in 2010.

● Jordan scored 32 goals in the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26, their highest tally in a single qualifying

campaign, surpassing their 2014 record of 30 goals.

● Jordan were one of three AFC sides who qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 whilst remaining unbeaten

away from home (W4 D4), along with Australia and Korea Republic.

● Only IR Iran’s Mehdi Taremi (17 – 10 goals, 7 assists) and Qatar’s Akram Afif (15 – 4 goals, 11 assists) were directly involved in more goals than Jordan forward Yazan Al-Naimat

(14 – 8 goals, 6 assists) during the AFC Asian Qualifiers.

● Jordan boss Jamal Sellami will experience his first FIFA World Cup as head coach. He will become the fourth Moroccan to manage at a FIFA World Cup after Abdellah Blinda (1994), Walid

Regragui (2022) and Mohamed Ouahbi (2026), but the first to lead a nation other than Morocco.

Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Santa Clara)

Kick-off: Tuesday, 21:00 (UTC-7)