A stampede at a public World Cup viewing site in central Amman killed one person and injured eight others early Tuesday morning, according to the Jordan News Agency and the country’s Public Security Directorate. The crush unfolded at Hashemite Plaza, where thousands had gathered to watch Jordan take on Algeria in a Group J match. The match ended in a 2-1 Algeria win that eliminated Jordan from the tournament with a group-stage match still to play. The death came in the same hours as the team’s first-ever World Cup campaign reached its end.
The Crush at Hashemite Plaza
Thousands of spectators had turned out in central Amman to watch the match between Algeria and Jordan on giant screens. The crowd at Hashemite Plaza grew through the early morning hours as kickoff approached. According to the Jordan News Agency, citing the Public Security Directorate, heavy congestion and crowd movement at the venue produced the crush. Emergency teams transported nine injured people to hospital after the incident. One of those nine later died, the state news agency reported, per the Jordan News Agency’s report on the Hashemite Plaza casualties.
The remaining injured fans were reported in stable and moderate condition. The incident occurred at Hashemite Square, where large numbers of fans had gathered in the capital. The crush followed Jordan’s 2-1 defeat to Algeria in the Group J fixture.
How a 2-1 Lead Disappeared
Jordan went ahead in the 36th minute through Nizar Al-Rashdan. The goal came after Algeria midfielder Ramiz Zerrouki turned the ball over in his own half, allowing Mousa Al-Tamari’s shot to run sideways to Al-Rashdan, who drilled home into the bottom right corner. Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic had put veteran attacker Riyad Mahrez in his starting eleven after benching him against Argentina, and the change shaped a difficult first half for the favourites. Mahrez proved influential in breaking down a Jordan team that defended in numbers and was quick on the counterattack. He blew an early chance when he ran onto a sublime lofted pass from Hicham Boudaoui but lost the ball under his feet. He then latched onto another long ball from Boudaoui to be one-on-one with Yazeed Abu Laila, but the Jordan goalkeeper got a hand to his chipped shot.
Petkovic brought on Nabil Bentaleb and Nadhir Benbouali at the break, and Algeria lifted their intensity. Surrounded by Jordan defenders, Benbouali rose highest to meet a Mahrez corner and sent a glancing header bouncing into the corner of the net in the 69th minute. Substitute Anis Hadj Moussa curled in another corner kick, a deflection off Al-Rashdan allowed Amine Gouiri to poke in the winner eight minutes from time, per Algeria’s 2-1 comeback win over Jordan.
The result put Algeria level with Austria on three points in Group J, with a final group match against Austria in Kansas City set for Saturday. The win revived Algeria’s first World Cup victory since 2014. The Group J victory also sets up a 1982 grudge match for Algeria; that tournament featured the so-called ‘Disgrace of Gijon,’ in which West Germany and Austria were alleged to have colluded in a group match that eliminated Algeria at West Germany’s expense. West Germany and Austria denied wrongdoing and FIFA cleared them, but the fixture has carried weight in Algerian football ever since. For Jordan, the defeat ended a first World Cup campaign after a 3-1 opening loss to Austria.
- Final score: Jordan 1, Algeria 2
- Jordan goalscorer: Nizar Al-Rashdan (36th minute)
- Algeria equalizer: Nadhir Benbouali (69th minute)
- Algeria winner: Amine Gouiri (82nd minute)
- Group J standing: Algeria and Austria on three points, Argentina through as group winner
- Casualty site: Hashemite Plaza, central Amman
What the Public Security Directorate Has Confirmed
The Public Security Directorate’s media spokesperson was the first to release casualty figures. The spokesperson initially said nine people had been hospitalized before announcing that one of the injured died shortly after arrival at the medical centre. The death was attributed to injuries sustained in the crush; the body was transferred to the forensic medicine department to determine the precise cause.
Later on Tuesday, the same spokesperson confirmed that authorities had identified the deceased as a youth, according to the PSD’s account of identifying the deceased youth. The family of the deceased was notified to complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures. The spokesperson added that all other injured individuals had been discharged from the hospital after receiving medical treatment. The exception was a single case involving a foot injury, which remains under medical care.
Jordan’s First World Cup Ends on a Tuesday Morning
This was the first World Cup Jordan has ever qualified for, the dispatch from Amman noted. Algeria’s late turnaround on Monday night ended the campaign with a group-stage match still to play. The knockout stage was never on the table for a squad that had opened with a 3-1 loss to Austria. The viewing at Hashemite Plaza reflected how heavily the country weighed the moment. The team’s elimination came in the same hours as the death at the public screening site.
The opener against Austria ended 3-1, leaving Jordan needing points against Algeria to keep the campaign alive. A win or draw would have put the team in position to chase qualification on the final matchday. Algeria had lost their opener 3-0 to Argentina, leaving them under similar pressure heading into the second fixture. Both teams arrived at the second Group J match under pressure, with the kickoff falling in the small hours of Tuesday morning in Amman.
Jordan now faces Argentina to close Group J, knowing elimination is already confirmed. The Group J standings leave Argentina through as winners after their 2-0 win over Austria, with Algeria and Austria level on three points heading into Saturday. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who has scored all five of the team’s goals at this World Cup, awaits Jordan in the final group fixture. Jordan will finish bottom of the group regardless of result. For a team that had never before played at a World Cup, the elimination came with a group-stage match still to play.
The viewing at Hashemite Plaza had pulled fans into central Amman at a venue that had already hosted similar gatherings earlier in the tournament. AP imagery showed Jordanian supporters at the Roman Amphitheatre in downtown Amman watching the Austria match on a large screen on June 17. That mass turnout at Hashemite Plaza was the setting for the crush.
The Youngest Victim and the Survivor Still Under Care
The PSD identified the dead as a youth whose name has not been released publicly. The Public Security Directorate notified the family to complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures, per the Petra news agency. The family has not commented publicly. Forensic medicine staff are still determining the precise cause of death, the PSD said.
The PSD did not release ages for any of the survivors, citing family notification procedures. Local hospitals did not initially release a patient count beyond what the PSD confirmed. Seven of the survivors were discharged after receiving medical treatment. One case, involving a foot injury, remained under medical care on Tuesday afternoon. The condition of the survivor still under care was not detailed. The crush took place in the same square where thousands had gathered to watch the Group J fixture on giant screens.
