7M - World Cup 2026 Preview: Jordan vs Algeria - prediction, team news, lineups

Around a week after suffering opening matchday defeats, tournament debutants Jordan and Algeria collide at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Monday night, with both nations desperate to secure their first victory in Group J.

Match Preview

Jordan: Competitive Spirit Masking Defensive Woes
Although their historic World Cup debut ultimately ended in a 3-1 defeat to Austria, Jordan proved they belong on the grand stage by remaining firmly in the contest until the 12th minute of second-half stoppage time. Jamal Sellami's men showed exceptional fighting spirit against a seasoned European side, providing a massive boost of confidence despite the zero-point return.

However, beneath the commendable effort lies a deeply concerning defensive trend. Al Nashama have failed to register a single victory across all competitions since mid-December, and their backline has completely lost its rigidity. The West Asian team are currently enduring a six-match winless streak, during which they have conceded at least two goals in every single fixture while suffering four defeats.

If they are to claim a historic first-ever World Cup win on Monday, Sellami must find a way to plug these defensive holes while maximizing the lethal potential of his European-based attacking duo, who remain the shining light of this squad.

Algeria: Shaking Off a Heavyweights Setback

Algeria enter matchday two aiming to quickly put behind them a disappointing 3-0 loss to defending champions Argentina. Making their long-awaited return to the global finals for the first time since their memorable 2014 round-of-16 run, the Desert Fennecs were heavily undone by defensive errors, with goalkeeper Luca Zidane at fault for two of the goals in Kansas City.

Vladimir Petkovic's side struggled to lay a glove on the South American giants, but a clash against lower-ranked opposition provides the perfect opportunity to kickstart their campaign. The two-time African champions possess superior tournament pedigree compared to their opponents and boast an elite pool of attacking options.

With games coming thick and fast, a victory in California is absolutely paramount. Taking maximum points would put the Fennecs right back in contention for a knockout berth, setting up a winner-takes-all final group stage match against Austria.

Team News

Jordan have a major concern in their three-man defensive line after Abdallah Nasib was forced off with a suspected injury against Austria. His fitness will be evaluated right up until kickoff. On a brighter note, Ali Olwan will spearhead the attack after netting Jordan's first-ever World Cup goal last week. Olwan now sits on 30 international goals, leading the squad ahead of Rennes teammate Musa Al Taamari, who has 24. They are the only two players in the squad with double-digit international goals.

Algeria manager Vladimir Petkovic could make tactical alterations after surprisingly leaving Mohamed Amoura on the bench until the 60th minute against Argentina, despite the forward top-scoring in World Cup qualifying with 10 goals. Experienced captain Riyad Mahrez was also dropped from the starting XI, but the veteran winger could return to the lineup on Monday night at the expense of Anis Hadj Moussa. No fresh injury concerns were reported following the Argentina fixture.

Possible Starting Lineups

Jordan possible starting lineup:
Abu Laila; Al Rousan, Al Arab, Abualnadi; Haddad, Al Rashdan, Al Rawabdeh, Abu Taha; Fakhoury, Olwan; Tamari

Algeria possible starting lineup:
Zidane; Belghali, Mandi, Bensebaini, Ait Nouri; Boudaoui, Zerrouki, Bentaleb; Mahrez, Amoura, Maza

Prediction: Jordan 1-3 Algeria

Jordan's defensive fragilities have plagued them for months, and coming up against an multi-talented Algerian frontline will severely test their limits. While Al Nashama possess enough individual quality through Olwan and Al Taamari to catch Algeria on the counter-attack, the North African giants simply have too much depth and match-winning experience to drop points here.