Jordan bow out of World Cup after 2-1 defeat to Algeria

RIYADH: An all-Arab encounter brought day 13 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to a close, with Jordan and Algeria going head-to-head in a Group J clash at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

After taking the lead shortly before half time, Jordan were unable to hold on after the break, as Algeria capitalized on their opponents’ longstanding struggles defending set pieces to claim a 2-1 victory.

Both sides had a statement to make at kick off, with this being a must-win game heading into the final matchday. Inside the first 60 seconds, Nizar Al-Rashdan’s header from a set piece drifted just wide of Luca Zidane’s goal, before Amine Gouiri’s run into the box saw him fire into the side netting less than two minutes later.

Jordan set up in their typical 5-4-1 formation, relying on a compact shape and looking to build on the counterattack. The issue lay in Mousa Al-Tamari’s lone presence up front, with Jordan’s deep defensive line meaning they could not support him efficiently in transition.

This was evident in the 12th minute, when Al-Tamari could only muster a long-range effort that was comfortably saved by Zidane after a quick counter.

To combat this deep block, Algeria looked to exploit through Hicham Boudaoui’s long passes over the Jordanian back line. Twice they found Riyad Mahrez, and twice they threatened Yazeed Abulaila’s goal.

In the 20th minute, Mahrez failed to capitalize after hesitating to shoot before Yazan Al-Arab intercepted the ball. In the 33rd minute, the Al-Ahli winger did get his shot away, but Abulaila was able to push the ball behind for a corner.

However, in the 40th minute, it was Jordan that ended up taking the lead. A misplaced switch from Ramiz Zerrouki was intercepted by Mohannad Abu Taha, who combined