The technical staff of the Jordan national football team, led by coach Jamal Salami, announced the squad in preparation for the friendly matches against Bolivia and Albania, as part of the preparations for the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 and the 2026 World Cup finals.

The list announced by the Football Association on its website included 30 players: Yazid Abu Laila, Nour Bani Atiya, Malik Shalabiya, Abdullah Naseeb, Yazan Al Arab, Youssef Abu Al-Jazar, Mohammad Abu Al-Nadi, Hadi Al-Hourani, Salim Obeid, Saad Al-Rousan, Muhannad Abu Taha, Mohammad Abu Hashish, Ali Hajbi, Adham Al-Quraishi, Issam Al-Samiri, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Ibrahim Saadeh, Nour Al-Rawabdeh, Amer Jamous, Ahmad Al-Salman, Mousa Al-Tamari, Mahmoud Mardi, Ali Alwan, Ali Azayza, Mohammad Abu Zuraik, Odeh Al-Fakhouri, Abdullah Awad, Rizq Bani Hani, Ibrahim Sabra, and Yazan Al-Naimat.

The names chosen by Salami sparked many reactions in the sports community, with some supporting the squad and the quality of the players, while others criticized or expressed reservations about some names. Most criticism focused on the absence of the Pro League top scorer, Ahmad Al-Arsan, a player for Al-Faisaly. Some social media commentators expected his inclusion due to his performance with his team and his high technical level on the field, while others emphasized respecting the coach’s choices, as he is best aware of the team’s current and future needs.

Some social media platforms and sports pages went beyond criticism, hinting or explicitly naming other players and stating that the coach’s choices were broad and clear at the same time, but his focus was on names he personally trusts, which sparked various reactions to the current squad.

It can be said that all discussions on social media remain confined to those platforms and will not affect the technical staff’s and coach’s choices, leading to respect for those choices and providing moral support to the team, affirming confidence in those players regardless of differing opinions, as the national team is heading towards important commitments and the door is always open for local and professional players in upcoming stages.

The team delegation is expected to leave for Turkey on the morning of Wednesday, October 1, to hold a training camp that will include a match against Bolivia on Friday, October 10.

Then the team will head to the Albanian capital Tirana on Saturday, October 11, where they will face the hosts on Tuesday, October 14.

The Football Association aims through providing training camps and friendly matches to achieve the highest levels of preparation and support for the team, in anticipation of participating in the Arab Cup in Qatar and the World Cup competitions in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

It is worth mentioning that the Jordanian national team secured its qualification to the 2026 World Cup finals for the first time in its history, becoming the first Arab team to guarantee a spot in the World Cup.