Jordan is celebrating the qualification of its football team for a FIFA World Cup for the first time following a decisive 3-0 victory against Oman.

Huge celebrations erupted as fans drove their cars through Jordan’s capital Amman late on Thursday and into Friday, honking their horns and chanting victory while others waved the national flag in triumph.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

“We are all with you!” and “It’s getting closer, heroes” read messages written into the night sky in a spectacular drone light show.

Jordan sealed their place on the penultimate day of Asian qualifying for the 2026 tournament, which will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Ali Olwin netted a hat-trick as the 2023 Asian Cup runners-up to Qatar etched their name in the history books.

They secured their spot in the World Cup when South Korea defeated Iraq, also on Thursday, 2-0.

The royal court published pictures of King Abdullah II wearing a national team jersey as he watched the game from the embassy in London, where he was on a visit.

Advertisement

I wholeheartedly congratulate the sons and daughters of our dear people on our national football team’s qualification for the World Cup finals,” he wrote on social media platform X.

“This historic qualification is well-deserved by our team, which includes stars and cadres of whom we are proud.

“Special thanks go to our loyal fans who have been our support and encouragement.”

Jordan World Cup qualification ‘about time’

Sohad Idrissi, a 48-year-old housewife who watched the game with her siblings, beamed with pride as she told AFP that her side had played “a beautiful game and deserved to qualify for the World Cup”.

“Today the joy is two-fold: there is the joy of Eid al-Adha, and the joy of Nashama qualifying,” she said, using a nickname for the Jordanian team.

Fadi Qalanzi, a 21-year-old university student, called the win “a dream that is finally coming true”.

“Our team put on a beautiful performance, and they truly deserved to qualify,” he added.

Osama al-Shreeda, a 60-year-old retired civil servant, also called it a dream come true.

“I’ve been following Jordanian football since 1978, and a relative of mine used to play with the national team,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity for our team and its players to be recognised globally,” he added, calling it an achievement not just for Jordan but for the wider Arab region.

Advertisement

“It was about time, this is a joy we’d been waiting for, for a long time,” said 55-year-old teacher Nashat Badr.

Uzbekistan also reach first FIFA World Cup

For Uzbekistan, a 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates was enough to take the second automatic qualification spot in Group A behind Iran.

With Asia now having eight guaranteed qualifiers – after just four for the 2022 edition in Qatar – Uzbekistan was a likely contender to step up.

While most of its team plays in the domestic league, it includes a few Europe-based stars like Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov and Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov.

Jordan’s highest-profile player is winger Mousa Tamari at French club Rennes.

Palestine and Indonesia set sights on playoffs

Palestine’s 2-0 win in Kuwait kept alive their hopes of reaching their first World Cup finals.

The victory, thanks to goals from Tamer Seyam and Wessam Abou Ali, means Palestine in fifth spot in Group B are one point outside the playoff qualification positions with one game to play.

A win in their final match in Amman, Jordan, against Oman, who hold fourth spot and are one point ahead of Palestine, on Tuesday will see them finish above their opponents.

Third and fourth positions in the three groups, in the third round of AFC qualifiers for the World Cup, progress to a fourth qualifying stage of playoffs.

The top two teams from each of the three six-team groups qualify automatically for next summer’s tournament, while the teams in fifth and sixth position are eliminated.

Advertisement

Indonesia, meantime, remain on course for a playoff finish, and only a second appearance at a World Cup finals, following their 1-0 win against China to hold fourth spot in Group C.