Amman, June 10 (Petra) — The 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off
Thursday with a landmark achievement for Jordanian football, as the
national team, Nashama, prepares to make its first-ever appearance at
the world’s premier football tournament.

Hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the
tournament marks a new era for the World Cup, featuring 48 teams for
the first time following FIFA’s decision to expand the competition
from 32 nations.

The opening ceremony will be held in Mexico City, followed by the
tournament’s inaugural match between Mexico and South Africa at
Azteca Stadium at 10 p.m. Jordan time. The World Cup will conclude on
July 19.

Jordan has been drawn into Group J alongside Austria, Algeria, and
Argentina. The national team will begin its World Cup campaign
against Austria next Wednesday before facing Algeria on June 23 and
Argentina on June 28.

Under the new competition format, the 48 participating teams have
been divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each
group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to
the Round of 32.

The tournament will be staged across 16 host cities, including 11 in
the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. A total of 104
matches will be played, up from 64 matches under the previous 32-team
format, with organizers expecting record attendance levels across the
expanded host venues.

FIFA has allocated a record prize pool of US$871 million for
participating teams, the largest in the tournament’s history. The
governing body previously announced that the champions will receive
US$50 million, while the runners-up and third-place finishers will
earn US$33 million and US$29 million, respectively.

//Petra// AJ