Jordan vs Algeria predicted lineups point to a Group J must-win clash at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Tuesday. Both sides lost their openers in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and sit on zero points with two matches left in the group stage. A loss for either side would leave the loser dependent on results elsewhere to keep any realistic path to the knockout round open.
Jordan fell 3-1 to Austria in San Francisco on June 17, with Ali Olwan scoring the country’s first ever World Cup goal. Algeria were beaten 3-0 by holders Argentina in Kansas City a day earlier, with Lionel Messi taking his World Cup tally to a record-equalling 17 goals with a hat-trick. The pair sit level on zero points, two behind Austria and Argentina, with one round of matches played. A draw keeps both alive but leaves neither in control of its own fate.
Both Teams Bring Zero Points Into the Group J Clash
Jordan’s defeat was the more encouraging of the two. Ralf Rangnick’s Austria broke through only in the 76th minute, when Yazan Al Arab turned the ball into his own net. Marko Arnautovic converted a late penalty to seal a 3-1 win in the 12th minute of stoppage time, per Austria’s Group J match details against Jordan.
Ali Olwan had equalised earlier in the second half to score Jordan’s first ever World Cup goal. The Chivalrous Ones, the West Asian side managed by Jamal Sellami, held their shape for long stretches against a side that lost only once in World Cup qualifying. Sellami’s side were undone by a single mistake and a late penalty, not by being outplayed. The performance suggested Jordan can stay with Algeria for long periods if they tighten up at the back.
Algeria return to the global stage for the first time since their 2014 run, which ended in a round-of-16 defeat to eventual winners Germany. Their opener went the other way. Lionel Messi took his World Cup tally to a record-equalling 17 goals with a hat-trick in Kansas City, per Messi’s three goals against Algeria in Kansas City.
The defeat exposed defensive errors that goalkeeper Luca Zidane was at fault for in two of the three goals. Vladimir Petkovic’s side managed no shot on target against the holders. Algeria will look to bounce back, but they cannot afford another defensive collapse in Santa Clara. The match is effectively a knockout game played before the knockout round.
How Jordan Are Expected to Line Up
Manager Jamal Sellami is expected to keep faith with the side that pushed Austria for most of the match. Jordan are projected to line up in a 3-4-3 built around the partnership between Olwan and Mousa Al-Tamari, who plays his club football at Rennes in Ligue 1. The duo have combined for 54 international goals, with Olwan on 30 and Al-Tamari on 24, per the Sports Mole preview. Both head into the match as the only members of the Jordan squad to have reached double figures for goals. Olwan is expected to lead the line with Al-Tamari in a supporting role.
Defender Abdallah Nasib will be assessed after going off with a suspected injury against Austria. If he cannot start, Saad Al-Rosan is expected to slot into the back three.
Jordan’s projected lineup (3-4-3) places Yazeed Abulaila behind a back three of Al-Rosan, Yazan Al-Arab and Mohammad Abu Al-Nadi. Ihsan Haddad, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Noor Al-Rawabdeh and Mohannad Abu Taha form a four-man midfield. Aouda Al-Fakhouri and Ali Olwan play off Mousa Al-Tamari in the front three. The shape is built to get the ball to Al-Tamari and Olwan quickly in transition.
- Goalkeeper: Yazeed Abulaila
- Defenders: Saad Al-Rosan, Yazan Al-Arab, Mohammad Abu Al-Nadi
- Midfielders: Ihsan Haddad, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Mohannad Abu Taha
- Forwards: Aouda Al-Fakhouri, Ali Olwan, Mousa Al-Tamari
How Algeria Are Expected to Line Up
Vladimir Petkovic’s side showed little against Argentina, failing to register a shot on target in Kansas City. The Algerian manager is expected to respond by bringing in Mohamed Amoura from the start, after leaving the striker on the bench against Argentina despite his 10 goals in World Cup qualifying, the most of any player on the squad. Captain Riyad Mahrez is also set to return to the side after being held back for the opener. Mahrez was left out against Argentina as Petkovic opted for a more energetic front three. The 35-year-old is no longer the force he once was at Manchester City, but his leadership is needed in a game of this magnitude.
Algeria’s projected lineup (4-3-3) keeps Zidane in goal behind a back four of Belghali, Mandi, Bensebaini and Aït-Nouri. Boudaoui and Zerrouki provide the base in central midfield, with Ibrahim Maza given a more advanced role. Amoura starts up front with Mahrez and Chaibi either side.
- Goalkeeper: Luca Zidane
- Defenders: Rafik Belghali, Aissa Mandi, Ramy Bensebaini, Rayan Ait-Nouri
- Midfielders: Hicham Boudaoui, Ramiz Zerrouki, Ibrahim Maza
- Forwards: Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Amoura, Fares Chaibi
The Battles That Will Decide the Match
The most important duel is at the back. Jordan have not kept a clean sheet in six matches, a run that stretches back to mid-December. They have conceded at least two goals in each of their last five games. Algeria have the firepower to test that defence through Amoura and Mahrez, even if the Argentine match showed how quickly individual errors can undo them.
Zidane’s form is the swing factor for Algeria. The goalkeeper’s error-strewn display against Argentina, in which he was at fault for two of Messi’s three goals, leaves him under pressure to perform in Santa Clara. He will start again, with Petkovic short of alternatives in the position. Jordan, for their part, will look to press the Algerian back line early, hoping to force the kind of mistake that gave Austria their opener at the other end of the pitch. Zidane has the pedigree to respond; whether he can do so under this kind of pressure is the open question.
Olwan versus the Algerian centre-backs is the duel to watch at the other end. Mandi and Bensebaini have the experience to handle a lone striker, but Jordan’s shape gives Olwan support from two attacking midfielders. If Mahrez plays as the right-sided forward, his drifting inside will create space for Chaibi to attack down the left against an ageing Jordan right-back.
Set pieces could also be decisive. Jordan scored from open play against Austria through Olwan but looked vulnerable from dead balls late in the match. Algeria have height in Mandi, Bensebaini and Zerrouki, and Boudaoui delivers a quality ball from wide free kicks and corners. Petkovic’s side will look to make the most of any fouls given away around the box. In matches between evenly matched sides at a World Cup, one set-piece moment often separates the two teams. The team that wins the physical battle in midfield will likely control the territory from which those moments come.
What’s at Stake in San Francisco
A win keeps Group J alive for the victor and leaves a route into the knockout round through the final group game. A defeat leaves the loser dependent on results elsewhere and realistic about needing to win the third match while hoping other results go its way. The match in Santa Clara is the first Arab derby at a men’s World Cup between these two nations.
For Jordan, a first World Cup victory would be the country’s most significant result since qualifying for the tournament. The 2026 edition is the first in which Jordan have appeared at a men’s World Cup, and the squad has waited decades for the chance. Sellami’s side have not won a match since mid-December, per the Sports Mole preview. Algeria’s last World Cup appearance ended in a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Germany in 2014, the furthest the Fennecs have ever gone at the tournament. A win would put them on the brink of a first knockout appearance in 12 years.
Both teams have shown flashes of what they can do at this level. Jordan were a single mistake away from a draw with Austria. Algeria were undone by individual errors rather than tactical inferiority against Argentina. The clash at Levi’s Stadium is the first Arab derby at a men’s World Cup between these two nations, and the only one either side can afford to lose. The winner keeps its tournament alive; the loser heads into the final group match needing help.
How to Watch
The match kicks off at 11 p.m. ET on Monday, June 22 (4 a.m. BST on Tuesday, June 23) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, per the Group J match centre page. The game is the second of three Group J fixtures in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Coverage varies by country, with the main broadcast options listed below.
The list below shows the main broadcasters carrying the match in major markets. Jordan 1-3 Algeria is the predicted scoreline from Sports Illustrated’s preview of the match. Sports Mole’s preview tips the same outcome. Both previews expect goals at both ends in Santa Clara.
- United States: FS1, fuboTV, Peacock, Telemundo, FOX One
- United Kingdom: ITV1, ITVX
- Canada: TSN channels, RDS
- Mexico: ViX
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is Jordan vs Algeria being played?
The match is being played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with kick-off at 11 p.m. ET on Monday, June 22 (4 a.m. BST on Tuesday, June 23), per the Sports Illustrated preview.
What were the results of Jordan and Algeria’s first matches?
Jordan lost 3-1 to Austria on June 17 in their World Cup debut. Algeria lost 3-0 to holders Argentina on June 16 in their first World Cup match since 2014. Both results leave the teams level on zero points in Group J, per the ESPN match analyses.
Who is in Jordan’s predicted starting lineup?
Jordan are expected to line up in a 3-4-3: Yazeed Abulaila; Saad Al-Rosan, Yazan Al-Arab, Mohammad Abu Al-Nadi; Ihsan Haddad, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Mohannad Abu Taha; Aouda Al-Fakhouri, Ali Olwan, Mousa Al-Tamari.
Who is in Algeria’s predicted starting lineup?
Algeria are expected to line up in a 4-3-3: Luca Zidane; Rafik Belghali, Aissa Mandi, Ramy Bensebaini, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Hicham Boudaoui, Ramiz Zerrouki, Ibrahim Maza; Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Amoura, Fares Chaibi. Captain Riyad Mahrez and striker Mohamed Amoura are both set to return to the side after starting on the bench against Argentina.
What is at stake for both teams?
Both sides sit on zero points after losing their Group J openers. A defeat in Santa Clara would leave the loser dependent on results elsewhere and in need of a win in the final group match to keep knockout hopes alive. A draw keeps both in the tournament but hands control of qualification to other results.
