For the first time in history, Jordan’s national football team, whose players are nicknamed al-Nashama (النشامى—patriotic heroes with a spirit of sacrifice), qualified this past weekend for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a 3:0 victory over the Oman national team. This unprecedented sporting achievement coincided with the Eid al-Adha celebrations and came at a particularly favorable political moment, dramatically shifting the public atmosphere in the kingdom from one end to the other.
Last April, the Jordanian government decided to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood movement, after nearly 80 years of legal activity in the country, following the exposure of terror cells that threatened Jordan’s security and stability. The move sparked discontent among the movement’s supporters—including many young people—who had only months earlier, in the September 2024 elections, delivered a significant electoral victory to its political arm, the Islamic Action Front, which became the largest party in parliament, securing close to a quarter of the seats.
The celebrations that erupted following the team’s qualification to the World Cup were precisely the “unifying glue” the kingdom needed in the face of Islamist elements challenging its very sovereignty and the ethos behind it. The team’s achievement improved the branding of the “Jordanian nation-state,” instilled national pride among its citizens, and enhanced internal cohesion, a sense of belonging, and identification with the homeland. Moreover, the success on the football field could serve as an inspirational source in other arenas, such as tackling unemployment and poverty.
The Jordanian leadership was quick to recognize the magnitude of the moment. King Abdullah II was photographed watching the team’s performance during his trip in London. After the qualification, he wrote: “My dear people, I am wholeheartedly happy about the qualification of our national football team to the 2026 World Cup. This victory is deserved and not a favor, and our team includes stars and players we are proud of. A special thanks to our crowd for the great support.”
Crown Prince Hussein celebrated with the players in the locker room following the qualification and thus became—as several football fans in the kingdom wrote on social media—the team’s 12th player, perhaps even the star of the victory.
As the first Arab team to secure its place in the World Cup, Jordan now has ample time to plan how to optimally leverage its appearance on the world’s main stage in the summer of 2026. Jordanian economists are calling to use the achievement to strengthen the kingdom’s “soft power,” particularly through a marketing campaign that will highlight its appeal as a tourist destination—a key sector for Jordan’s treasury and labor market.
As for Israel, one may hope that the qualification of its neighbor to the World Cup will serve as a window of opportunity for a shift from a reality of prolonged war—which weighs on their relations—toward the cultivation of a positive vision that will grant both countries shared victories.
For the first time in history, Jordan’s national football team, whose players are nicknamed al-Nashama (النشامى—patriotic heroes with a spirit of sacrifice), qualified this past weekend for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a 3:0 victory over the Oman national team. This unprecedented sporting achievement coincided with the Eid al-Adha celebrations and came at a particularly favorable political moment, dramatically shifting the public atmosphere in the kingdom from one end to the other.
Last April, the Jordanian government decided to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood movement, after nearly 80 years of legal activity in the country, following the exposure of terror cells that threatened Jordan’s security and stability. The move sparked discontent among the movement’s supporters—including many young people—who had only months earlier, in the September 2024 elections, delivered a significant electoral victory to its political arm, the Islamic Action Front, which became the largest party in parliament, securing close to a quarter of the seats.
The celebrations that erupted following the team’s qualification to the World Cup were precisely the “unifying glue” the kingdom needed in the face of Islamist elements challenging its very sovereignty and the ethos behind it. The team’s achievement improved the branding of the “Jordanian nation-state,” instilled national pride among its citizens, and enhanced internal cohesion, a sense of belonging, and identification with the homeland. Moreover, the success on the football field could serve as an inspirational source in other arenas, such as tackling unemployment and poverty.
The Jordanian leadership was quick to recognize the magnitude of the moment. King Abdullah II was photographed watching the team’s performance during his trip in London. After the qualification, he wrote: “My dear people, I am wholeheartedly happy about the qualification of our national football team to the 2026 World Cup. This victory is deserved and not a favor, and our team includes stars and players we are proud of. A special thanks to our crowd for the great support.”
Crown Prince Hussein celebrated with the players in the locker room following the qualification and thus became—as several football fans in the kingdom wrote on social media—the team’s 12th player, perhaps even the star of the victory.
As the first Arab team to secure its place in the World Cup, Jordan now has ample time to plan how to optimally leverage its appearance on the world’s main stage in the summer of 2026. Jordanian economists are calling to use the achievement to strengthen the kingdom’s “soft power,” particularly through a marketing campaign that will highlight its appeal as a tourist destination—a key sector for Jordan’s treasury and labor market.
As for Israel, one may hope that the qualification of its neighbor to the World Cup will serve as a window of opportunity for a shift from a reality of prolonged war—which weighs on their relations—toward the cultivation of a positive vision that will grant both countries shared victories.