Jordanians bask in glory of World Cup qualification

AMMAN: Huge celebrations erupted in Jordan after the national team qualified for the 2026 World Cup, earning a spot in the tournament for the first time following a decisive 3-0 victory against Oman.

Fans drove their cars through Jordan´s capital Amman late Thursday, honking their horns and chanting victory while others waved the national flag in triumph. “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 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.

“This historic qualification is well-deserved by our team, which includes stars and cadres of whom we are proud,” he wrote on X. “Special thanks go to our loyal fans who have been our support and encouragement.”

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