- Title: Jordan dream of Morocco-style run as World Cup debut nears
- Date: 27th March 2026
- Summary: ANTALYA, TURKEY (MARCH 26, 2026) (REUTERS) JORDAN TEAM ON THE TRAINING PITCH VARIOUS OF JORDAN PLAYERS PLAYING WITH FOOTBALLS JORDAN PLAYERS STRETCHING (SOUNDBITE) (English) JORDAN HEAD COACH, JAMAL SELLAMI, SAYING: "We saw during the last (World Cup) that many, many teams bring surprise. And my own country did it during the last World Cup, Morocco reached the semi-final.
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- Keywords: FIFA World Cup 2026 Iran Jordan World Cup
- Location: ANTALYA, TURKEY
- City: ANTALYA, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Europe,Middle East,Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001776926032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Jordan's players told reporters on Thursday (March 26) that they can barely sleep as they prepare for their first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup 2026, with head coach Jamal Sellami urging them to believe they can emulate Morocco's shock run to the semi-finals four years ago.
"To be honest, sometimes we don't sleep when we think about it," midfielder Noor Al-Rawabdeh said. "It’s a dream come true for us."
Sellami said his players were drawing confidence from Morocco's achievement at the last World Cup.
"In big competitions, many teams can surprise. My country Morocco, reached the semi-finals in the last World Cup," he said. "That gives us belief."
Jordan are holding their final training camp in Antalya ahead of their historic debut, with preparations including a training session with tightly restricted media access as staff fine-tune tactics.
The camp comes after a friendly tournament was relocated from Jordan to Turkey due to the Iran war, highlighting the uncertain backdrop to the team's build-up.
Despite their underdog status, the players say they are targeting more than just participation.
Jordan head into the tournament on the back of a breakthrough run to the Asian Cup final last year, which raised expectations for their debut on the global stage.
They are scheduled to play Costa Rica in Antalya on Friday and Nigeria on Tuesday as part of their final preparations before travelling to the World Cup.
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