Jordan knocked out of FIFA World Cup as resilient Algeria win in stage comeback

A resilient Algeria managed to sneak past Jordan’s low block on Tuesday to keep their 2026 World Cup campaign alive. Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri scored second-half goals from corner kicks as Algeria rallied for a 2-1 win over Jordan in their Group J encounter in Santa Clara, California.

Benbouali’s 69th-minute goal was Algeria’s first World Cup goal since the 2014 tournament in Brazil and opened the floodgates for wave after wave of attacks, breaking Jordan’s dogged resistance that had held for most of the evening.

FIFA World Cup: Algeria vs Jordan Complete overview

For a long time, it looked like Jordan would achieve one of the greatest results in his football history.

The tournament debutants took the lead through Nizar Al Rashdan – the country’s first ever World Cup goal – and sat deep, forcing Algeria to move the ball and repeatedly attack packed defensive lines. Jordan frustrated Algeria for almost an hour and looked increasingly comfortable to protect their advantage.

But the scenery changed everything.

In the 69th minute, Riyad Mahrez delivered a teasing ball into the area and Benbouali rose highest to send his header past Yazeed Abulailah to restore parity.

The equalizer changed the game.

Algeria began to win second balls, press with more urgency and get into more numbers up front. Jordan, who had defended bravely until then, began to lose control of the territory and eventually paid the price.

With eight minutes of regulation time remaining, Amine Gouiri found the decisive touch inside the box after another dangerous pass created chaos in front of goal. The ball took a deflection and squeezed past Abulail, prompting celebrations among Algeria’s traveling supporters.

The comeback brought further significance for Algeria. It was the first time in World Cup history that they had won a match after conceding first, having previously failed to do so in nine such games.

After opening their campaign with a defeat against Argentina, Algeria have now revived their hopes of reaching the knockout stages. A win against Austria in their final group stage match would secure second place in Group J and send them through.

Meanwhile, Jordan became the first team from Group J to be eliminated. However, despite the result, Jamal Sellami’s side showed enough organization and discipline to suggest they belong on football’s biggest stage.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

23 Jun 2026 15:13 IST