DPMM FC Brunei · Defender · #6 · 27 yrs
Jordan are among the lowest ranked teams at the 2026 World Cup. With the expansion to 48 teams, it was a great opportunity for some countries to reach the 2026 World Cup for the first time ever, which was the case for Jordan. The newcomers secured a place in the tournament despite being ranked 63rd in the FIFA rankings. Their position is higher than only Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Ghana, Haiti, Curaçao, and New Zealand among the teams in the competition. In Group J, they are far behind the other teams in terms of ranking. They must face Argentina, who are currently ranked first, while their opening match is against Austria, ranked 24th. Algeria, ranked 28th, are also above them. The qualifiers Jordan took full advantage of the new format implemented for this edition, which expanded the Asian Football Confederation allocation to eight direct spots, with one additional place available through the inter-confederation playoffs. Jordan are in their first ever World Cup (Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images) It was not an easy path for Jordan, as the qualification process for Asia included multiple rounds. Their first stage was a group of four teams in which they collected 13 points from six matches to finish ahead of Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. The third round featured one of the region’s powerhouses in South Korea, who won the six-team group. However, because the first two teams qualified, Jordan were able to secure their place. In the final match, they beat Oman to finish one point ahead of Iraq. Their calendar The group will not be simple, even if some third-placed teams advance to the next round. Their first match is against Austria (June 16), before continuing against Algeria (June 22) and ending against Argentina (June 27).
Getting their World Cup campaign underway in the early hours of Wednesday, Austria will meet Jordan in Santa Clara. With the 2026 World Cup now in full swing, there are plenty of attractive betting promotions available this summer. Verdict: Austria win Best Odds: 2/5 Bookmaker: BetUS Austria Starting with Austria, while there might have been plenty […] The post Prediction: Austria vs Jordan appeared first on SoccerNews.
Ralf Rangnick will not be heading to AC Milan, and instead will remain in the Austria dugout for another two years after penning a new deal. The post Rangnick extends Austria deal to 2028 amid AC Milan interest appeared first on SoccerNews.
Adrian Sousa of Rabona TV explores the history of Jordan’s national team as they prepare for a historic World Cup debut against Argentina. The 2026 World Cup features several teams reaching the tournament for the very first time. Among the most anticipated debutants is Jordan, a nation that has spent decades fighting for a place on the sport’s biggest international stage. Listen to the full episode on Spotify to discover the unique football history of Jordan. In this edition of Curiosities, Adrian Sousa of Rabona TV examines the journey of the Jordanian national team. The episode looks closely at the country’s broader history alongside the specific development of its football infrastructure over the years. After a 40-year wait to secure a World Cup qualification, the team has finally broken through to the finals. Their reward is a highly anticipated spot in the group stage, where they are scheduled to test themselves directly against the defending champions, Argentina. Sousa breaks down the exact path the squad took to achieve this milestone, highlighting how previous generations laid the groundwork. It provides fans with a direct overview of how the team evolved into a competitive force capable of reaching the tournament. You can stream the entire analysis right now. Check out the Rabona TV Jordan feature on Spotify to learn more about the history and qualification story behind one of the tournament’s newest competitors.
With the 2026 MLS season already underway, questions are being raised about when Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi will play his next game. Lionel Messi is still making history at 38 years old, remaining a cornerstone and captain for both Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. With the 2026 Major League Soccer season now underway, fans are wondering when they’ll see the forward back in action. Lionel Messi’s next match with Argentina is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, when La Albiceleste take on Algeria for Matchday 1 in Group J of the 2026 World Cup at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The forward is heading to the game after recovering from his muscle overload and performing in the last friendly against Iceland, where he found the back of the net from the penalty spot. As for his next game with Inter Miami, Major League Soccer has implemented break for the World Cup, with the 2026 regular season slated to resume after the international tournament concludes in mid-July. To jumpstart their defense of the MLS Cup trophy, the Herons will return to action by hosting the Chicago Fire at Nu Stadium on Wednesday, July 22. During the 2026 MLS campaign, Messi has featured in 16 official matches so far across all competitions, scoring 13 goals with 7 assist registered thus far. The Argentine star most recently delivered a pair of brilliant assists against the Philadelphia Union, a match he was ultimately forced to leave early in the second half due to a minor hamstring strain. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF during the MLS match against LAFC. Lionel Messi and the task of defending the World Cup title The year 2026 will be especially significant for Messi, not only because of Inter Miami’s ambitions but also because he’ll head into the 2026 World Cup aiming to defend the title. The triumph in Qatar in 2022 marked one of the defining peaks of his career, and now in North America he’ll enter another tournament wearing the champions’ badge for the first time. Drawn into Group J, Argentina will open its campaign against Algeria on Tuesday, June 16, in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. The second match will be against Austria on Monday the 22nd in Arlington at AT&T Stadium, before closing the group stage against Jordan on Saturday the 27th, also in Texas. The Argentina FA has announced that the national team will base itself in Kansas City during the tournament, though training facilities have yet to be confirmed. Expected to be his final World Cup appearance, Messi will have a chance to add to his record haul with a squad coached by Lionel Scaloni that remains one of the strongest in international soccer after winning the last World Cup and back-to-back Copa América titles.
On the verge of making his historic sixth World Cup appearance, Lionel Messi spoke about the strengths that make Argentina a fierce candidate to defend their global crown. Lionel Messi is gearing up for his sixth World Cup, embarking on what will likely be the final tournament of his legendary international career. In North America, Argentina will look to defend the title they brilliantly claimed at Qatar 2022, and they arrive red-hot following dominant displays in their final warm-up friendlies. First, Argentina cruised to a 2-0 victory over Honduras at Kyle Field, a match where manager Lionel Scaloni opted to rest Messi completely on the bench, due to a physical issue that had cut short his last match with Inter Miami In their final tune-up, the Albiceleste dismantled Iceland 3-0 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, where the captain made his return to the pitch, dazzled the crowd with a goal, and dictated the tempo of the comprehensive victory. Argentina’s emphatic win over Iceland also served as official notice that Messi is entering this World Cup highly motivated. Following the match, he sent a clear warning to any opponent planning to snatch the reigning champions’ crown. “This national team is incredibly competitive, and we’ve been proving that for many years,” Messi told Argentine outlet Olé in a post-match interview. “It is going to be very difficult for our opponents to face Argentina, because this is a squad that is in a great place—we are very strong, deeply united, and our hunger remains completely intact“. Messi opens up on initial doubts about playing in 2026 World Cup A few months ago, Messi had cast some doubt over his participation in the 2026 World Cup, previously stating that he would make a final decision closer to the summer based entirely on how his body felt physically. Those initial comments naturally triggered a wave of anxiety across Argentina. However, as time progressed and Messi continued to showcase elite physical form with Inter Miami, it became increasingly obvious that he had no intention of missing what will likely be his final dance on the world stage. With exactly one week to go before Argentina’s group-stage opener against Algeria, Messi explained his mindset during that period of uncertainty. “Everything happened so fast after Qatar, and I’ve had a lot of intense competition in between. But I kept feeling good,” Messi explained to Olé. “Even though I am playing for Inter Miami, I never stopped competing or pushing myself, and over this past year, I prepared diligently to ensure I arrived here in the best possible shape,” he added.
Jamal Sellami’s first-time qualifiers come up against Lionel Messi and Argentina in a challenging Group JThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June. Continue reading...
