Jordan Will Face Messi at the World Cup — and for Them It Could Be the Game of a Generation
Making their debut in 2026, Jordan could close the group stage against Messi's Argentina. A story of decades of waiting and passion finally reaching the biggest stage.
Some nations make their World Cup debut and land straight in a semifinal. Not Jordan. They make their debut, and the final fixture of the group stage is a showdown with Lionel Messi's Argentina — on June 27. For a country that waited decades for this moment, that isn't just another game: it's the final itself.
One of four first-timers at the 2026 World Cup, Jordan carries a beautiful contradiction: football is a genuine national passion, yet results have never matched the enthusiasm. "I grew up certain that Jordan is a land of talent," said Mustafa Arqawi, former communications director of the Jordan Football Association, to BBC Sport. "It was a talent I saw every day in school yards, in alleyways, in the streets."
The story begins in 1953, with a 3–1 defeat to Syria — the country's first international match, shortly after independence from the United Kingdom. Attempts to reach a World Cup only came decades later, with the campaign for the 1986 tournament. That qualifying debut brought a victory over Qatar, but the road quickly closed.
Now, finally, Jordan is there. The journey begins against Austria and could end facing the world champions. Golmetria's model puts Argentina at a 13.45% chance of winning the title — favourites, but far from unbeatable.
In the market, the implied probability of Argentina winning back-to-back titles sits at around 7.49% — below what the model estimates, which may suggest the market sees the field as more open than it appears.
For Jordan, of course, the title isn't on the agenda. But sharing a pitch with Messi, after all of this, is already history in the making. The question is: can they do more than just show up?