Jordan and Uzbekistan Arrive at the 2026 World Cup Ready to Fight — and Messi and CR7 Are in Their Way
Jordan and Uzbekistan reach their first-ever World Cup with plenty of fight and some key absences, ahead of clashes with Argentina and Portugal.
The streets of Amman and Tashkent are already buzzing — and the 2026 World Cup has barely started for them.
Jordan and Uzbekistan arrive at their first-ever World Cup with a clear mission: to prove they are not here just to make up the numbers. Before the dream matchups against Lionel Messi, 38, and Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, come equally decisive games — ones that may reveal even more about what these teams are truly worth.
Jordan opens their campaign against Austria, then faces Algeria and Argentina. Uzbekistan begins against Colombia before crossing paths with Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two groups, two destinies, one shared hunger.
The cafés on Prince Muhammad Street in Amman have lived through moments like this before: it was there that fans watched Portugal beat Spain in the Nations League final, three days after Jordan secured their World Cup spot. The city erupted. Now, the dream has become reality.
But Jordan arrive with serious injury concerns. Top scorer Yazan al-Naimat is out after rupturing his cruciate ligament in December. Ali Olwan, who scored all three goals in the win over Oman that sealed qualification, has not played competitively since February. The team's soul remains intact — the shape, the organisation, the counter-attack — but the key pieces are compromised.
On the other side of the group, Portugal enter the tournament with Cristiano Ronaldo at 41 and a closing window. The Golmetria model gives the Portuguese a 4.88% chance of winning the title — well below Argentina's 13.45% and Spain's 18.42%, the tournament favourites. Argentina, for their part, have a 94.56% chance of advancing from the group stage.
There is more: according to UOL Esporte, the opening matches of both Argentina and Portugal at the 2026 World Cup will not be broadcast on free-to-air television in Brazil — meaning millions of Brazilians will need to find alternatives to watch Messi and CR7 in action.
For Jordan and Uzbekistan, it hardly matters where the game is shown. They have finally arrived. The question is: how far can they go?