2026 FIFA World Cup | Group J | Wednesday June 23, 2026
- Algeria 2-1 Jordan
Algeria breathed new life into their FIFA World Cup campaign on Tuesday morning, coming from behind to beat Jordan 2-1 in Santa Clara and knock the tournament debutants out of the competition.
With both teams reeling from opening-match defeats, victory was the only option at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
Algeria started brightly and saw more of the ball, but Jordan remained organised and struck first against the run of play in the 36th minute.
Mousa Al Tamari’s sliced effort across the penalty area fell kindly for Nizar Al Rashdan, who swept home with the outside of his right boot to give Jordan a precious lead.
Jordan carried that advantage into halftime, leaving Algeria staring at an early exit.
But the Desert Foxes returned for the second half with renewed urgency and pinned Jordan deep in their own half.
Their pressure finally paid off in the 69th minute when Nadhir Benbouali rose highest to head home from a corner and restore parity.
With momentum firmly on their side, Algeria completed the comeback eight minutes from time. Another corner caused problems in the Jordan box and Amine Gouiri reacted quickest to bundle the ball home from close range.
The victory keeps Algeria’s hopes of reaching the last 16 alive ahead of their final Group J match. They move level on three points with Austria, although they remain third on goal difference behind the Europeans. Argentina top the group with six points and have already secured qualification.
However, the defeat ends Jordan’s historic first World Cup appearance after just two matches.
Algeria’s defensive struggles remain a concern. The North Africans have managed only one clean sheet in their last 15 World Cup matches, with that shutout coming in a goalless draw against England in 2010.
All the remaining matches of the FIFA World Cup will be broadcast live on DStv across four dedicated channels.
