When Jordan step out to face world champions Argentina in their final group match on 27 June 2026, it will feel like their own World Cup final – the culmination of decades of dreams, 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, a tournament taking place across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Their campaign begins against Austria on 24 June (05:00 BST, live on the BBC) and could culminate in a showdown with Lionel Messi and his Argentina side. To reach the knockout stage, they would need to cause a major upset.
“Jordan make their World Cup debut in 2026 after decades of near misses.”
This first appearance on football's biggest stage has been a long time coming. Jordan gained independence from the United Kingdom after World War Two and played their first international 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 complex 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 nothing.
What this adventure did, however, was put Jordan on the global football map and allow 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. Wilkins led Jordan to the 2015 Asian Cup, but following a group-stage exit 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 those appointments was Harry Redknapp, parachuted in for the final two matches of the second-round group stage.
For UK readers, the story of Jordan's journey is particularly resonant because of those English managerial connections. Ray Wilkins and Harry Redknapp both had spells in charge, bringing a British footballing presence to a nation where, as former JFA communications director Mustafa Arqawi told the BBC, “In my childhood, I was brought up with the fact that Jordan is a home of football talent. 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.”
### Key questions answered
Q: How did Jordan qualify for the World Cup? Jordan won eight of their 16 qualification games, drawing five and losing three to reach their first World Cup. They navigated a multi-stage Asian qualifying system to secure their place in the 2026 tournament.
Q: Who are Jordan’s most notable former managers? Two English football figures, Ray Wilkins and Harry Redknapp, have managed the national team. Wilkins took charge in 2014, and Redknapp was appointed for the final two matches of the second-round group stage during the 2018 qualifying campaign.
Q: Who do Jordan face in the group stage? Jordan are in a group with Austria and Argentina. They play Austria on 24 June and Argentina on 27 June 2026.
### What happens next Jordan’s World Cup debut begins with their match against Austria on 24 June 2026 at 05:00 BST. Their final group game against defending champions Argentina is on 27 June. The team will be hoping to cause a surprise and reach the knockout stages for the first time.