Jordan qualified for the 2026 World Cup for the first time in their history — a result that required them to navigate the AFC’s expanded playoff system and produce results against sides that had previously been considered their superiors in the region. The achievement is significant. What it amounts to on the pitch, when the opponent is Argentina, is a different calculation.
Argentina, as defending world champions, are required to face everyone eventually. Jordan are the final group stage fixture — and the defending champions’ last preparation before the knockout rounds.
Jordan
Mousa Al-Taamari has been Jordan’s most dangerous attacking player for the last three years — his pace from wide and his ability to cut inside onto his stronger foot gives him the capacity for individual moments even against organised defensive lines. Hussein Al-Sharari leads the line with a physical presence that holds the ball effectively. The tactical plan against Argentina will be familiar to anyone who has watched Jordan’s AFC campaign: a compact block, defending in two lines of four, and waiting for the transition opportunity that Al-Taamari and the wide players can exploit when Argentina’s press is beaten. It is not a naive plan. It requires exceptional execution for 90 minutes against Álvarez, Mac Allister, and Messi.
Predicted lineup (4-4-2): Shafi; Al-Bawab, Abdoun, Al-Rawabdeh, Abdel Fattah; Al-Taamari, Al-Naimat, Nader, Al-Dardour; Al-Sharari, Al-Salem
Argentina
Lionel Scaloni will rotate strategically. Messi’s minutes may be managed — 60 or 70 rather than the full 90 — but his presence in any configuration remains the focal point around which everything else is organised. Enzo Fernández, if not yet fully fit, rests; Leandro Paredes or Alexis Mac Allister steps into the deeper role. The back four stays intact. Argentina’s objective in this fixture is to win without exposing key players to unnecessary physical risk before the knockout rounds begin. A comfortable margin — three or four goals — achieves both objectives.
Predicted lineup (4-3-3): Rulli; Montiel, Romero, Pezzella, Acuña; De Paul, Mac Allister, Paredes; Di María, Álvarez, Messi
Odds Comparison
| Sportsbook | Jordan | Draw | Argentina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | 18.00 | 9.00 | 1.20 |
| Sports Interaction | 17.00 | 8.50 | 1.18 |
| Betway | 17.50 | 8.75 | 1.19 |
| Tonybet | 18.00 | 9.00 | 1.20 |
| Betovo | 16.50 | 8.20 | 1.17 |
| Market | Best Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 3.5 Goals | 1.65 |
| Under 3.5 Goals | 2.25 |
| Argentina to Win to Nil | 1.35 |
Prediction
Argentina win this without difficulty. Jordan’s defensive block will limit the margin in the first half — their two lines of four are organised enough to require patient build-up — but the quality gap between Álvarez, Mac Allister, and Di María against Jordan’s defensive personnel is too large to contain across 90 minutes. Jordan will not score. Their counter-attacking threat depends on the space that opens when opponents chase the game, and Argentina with a lead do not invite that.
Prediction: Argentina 4-0 Jordan. Argentina to win to nil and over 2.5 goals at approximately 1.75 is the cleanest single market for this fixture.
Odds correct at time of writing and subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.
Ryan Delacroix grew up between Bordeaux and Toronto, which left him fluent in two languages and loyal to neither country’s football team. He spent a decade writing for European sports dailies before moving to long-form work covering major tournaments. His pieces tend to start with a detail nobody else noticed and end with a quote that makes the analysis unnecessary. He has been at three World Cups. He still thinks the 2002 one was the strangest.
