RIYADH: Once the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw was finalized, it was already seen within the Jordan camp as a monumental task to qualify for the knockout stages. But when Yazan Al-Naimat ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in late December, optimism quickly gave way to concern among Jordanian fans.
With his participation in the World Cup touch-and-go until the very end, it was announced just weeks before the finalization of the tournament squads that Al-Naimat would indeed miss the tournament.
Jordan will make their World Cup debut without their most prolific player, who has scored 20 international goals in 43 appearances since 2023.
His four goals at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup led them to a historic runner-up position, before eight goals in the Asian qualifiers played a key part in the Nashama’s road to the World Cup.
But just how crucial is Al-Naimat’s absence for the Nashama? With Ligue 1-based Mousa Al-Tamari and 2025 FIFA Arab Cup Golden Boot winner Ali Olwan still available, Jordan are hardly short of attacking talent.
Yet it was the combination of this dangerous front three that converted Jordan into one of the continent’s best teams in recent years. Jordan are lucky not to rely on a single source of goals, but Al-Naimat’s ability to combine with his two attacking partners is one of the key reasons they have become such a difficult team to defend.
The bigger worry for fans, however, is the defence.
There is no expectation that Jordan will deviate from their preferred system of three center-backs, often dropping into a back five when defending. Whether they play with a double pivot or three central midfielders remains to be seen, with head coach Jamal Sellami alternating between the two setups depending on the opposition.
In a group featuring Argentina, Austria and Algeria, ensuring that the defence is not only compact but also capable of winning aerial duels will be of paramount importance.
Despite possessing physically imposing defenders such as Yazan Al-Arab and Abdallah Nasib, Jordan face a persistent problem when defending crosses and set-pieces. This was most evident in the Arab Cup final against Morocco, where two set-piece goals either side of extra time condemned Jordan to a 3-2 defeat, exposing lapses in concentration and defensive organization.
Much of the discussion within Jordanian football circles has centered on how to manage these weaknesses.
There is little concern about the quality Al-Tamari and Olwan provide on the counterattack, but there is genuine worry that Jordan could struggle under sustained pressure, leave too much space between the lines and concede avoidable goals from set-pieces.
Al-Naimat’s presence would not have solved those issues. It may have added a goal or two for Jordan, but it would not change the fact that the Nashama must be at their defensive best if they are to compete with the quality they will face in North America.
Regardless, the aspiration for Jordanian fans at this World Cup is a simple one: compete, represent the country well and collect as many points as possible.
Few expect the Nashama to qualify from their difficult group. But defeat comes in many forms, and Jordan’s hope will be that, if their journey ends in the group stage, it does so with the same courage and dignity that have defined their rise over the past few years.
