Sellami: Facing Messi is a unique experience
Jordan coach ready for challenge of tackling reigning champions Argentina and their talisman captain after reaching first-ever World Cup.
Jordan are heading to the World Cup for the first time in their history
The Nashama will face Argentina, Algeria and Austria in Group J
Head coach Jamal Sellami discusses his ambitions and the challenge of facing Lionel Messi
Jordan are entering an historic new chapter with their first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup™. After nine previous attempts to reach football’s biggest stage, the Nashama finally secured qualification under Moroccan coach Jamal Sellami.
Jordan’s qualification was no coincidence. It was the result of steady progress that began at the AFC Asian Cup 2023, when the team reached the final before losing to hosts Qatar. Although Sellami, himself a World Cup player with Morocco at France 1998, was not in charge at the time, he successfully built on the work started by fellow countryman Hussein Ammouta.
As the FIFA World Cup 2026™ approaches, attention is turning to the major challenges awaiting Jordan after they were drawn alongside reigning world champions Argentina, as well as Austria and Algeria in Group J. Despite the difficulty of the group, Sellami believes his side are capable of making a strong impression.
In an exclusive interview with FIFA, the Jordan coach reflected on the emotions of qualification, his preparations for the tournament and the challenge of facing Lionel Messi and Argentina.
Jamal Sellami: When we qualified, we were watching the Iraq vs Korea match. During the gathering that was taking place, I took a step back. I felt relief and a lot of happiness because this is my job: to push others to feel pride, to feel happy, and to make their dreams come true.
As a coach, naturally, we were part of the accomplishment, we have a hand in this historic achievement and this dream Jordanian football realised. But my feelings were relief and happiness, due to the fact that I got the national team and the Jordanian people to feel pride and turning this dream to a reality.
This was an important phase of my career as a coach. When I took on the role of head coach, I knew that we had good assets which would help us reach our goal to qualify for the World Cup. So, from day one, I spoke to the players, and told them that I hadn't come to waste my time or their own. One of our greatest strengths was the spirit and morale within the group.
Ambition, desire and passion are essential. We overcame difficulties, but the focus always remained on the common goal. Most importantly, what we focused on during all our meetings was communicating with the players, and thanks to God, we were able to reach this goal supported by everyone involved in Jordanian football.
We're in a preparatory stage now, as it’s very important to us when it comes to getting the group fit and ready to represent Jordanian football at the World Cup. Some of the things we're worried about are the players' recurring injuries. So, these stages give us the chance to expand the pool of players available for selection.
We're at the penultimate stage now. We faced national teams that follow different philosophies so that we could gain some experience because we know that our opponents at the World Cup – Austria, Algeria, and Argentina – have distinct styles. But we have goals for each stage so that we're ready for our first match.
For us, the match against Argentina will be the third match. Naturally, we hope that Messi will be present because the news going around now doesn't confirm Messi's presence or absence. I hope that he will be present because he is still a football icon, so the match will be very exciting. It’s a game that we hope will be the one that seals our place in the next round of the World Cup.
Facing Messi is a unique experience. This represents a great challenge for our players, and we have our specific set-up for each stage because before the Argentina match, we have two other very important matches. The match against Messi will require special preparation.
Participating in the World Cup is a major accomplishment in itself. It's an opportunity for any player, for any coach, and for any country, to show their personality, culture and ambition. Being at the World Cup is an opportunity for us to show that we qualified from Asia, and that we deserve to showcase Jordanian football.
Of course, I want the national team’s performances to reflect the spirit of the Nashama – courage, unity, boldness and presence. We are facing teams with very different football philosophies, but we are capable of making a positive impression. We have already shown our identity, and through this achievement we also wanted to show future generations the way forward.