World Cup appearance sparks ‘once-in-a-lifetime' national pride for Jordanians
On Sunday, the often sterile halls of the San Jose Convention Center were transformed into the site of a festival as a military band in olive uniforms and red and white headscarves marched across the carpeted floors. Horns blared and drummers played a rapid tattoo as the bandleaders swung their limbs with metric precision. Behind them, a small crowd waved Jordanian flags and clapped their hands to the beat in an informal procession where onlookers cheered and filmed on their cellphones.
With their country's first-ever appearance in the World Cup, Jordanians and Jordanian Americans gathered in the Bay Area to celebrate their culture and their country's historic achievement in what they are calling a milestone moment of national pride.
RELATED: Pressure's on as Algeria, Jordan meet in World Cup match at Levi's Stadium
"Oh man, we're proud," said Rafat Alamawi, head of the Jordanian Fan association, on Jordan's entrance into the tournament. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. … It takes a small country and puts it on a big map."
Jordan is a largely Arab country of over 11.5 million people, about the size of Maine, bordered by Israel to the west, Saudi Arabia to the southeast, and Iraq and Syria to the north. The country is one of four making their World Cup debut this year, alongside Cape Verde, Curaçao and Uzbekistan, as the tournament includes 48 teams, the most in its history. The team plays against Algeria this Mondayat Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, after a 3-1 loss against Austria at Levi's.
To celebrate the debut and the culture of the country, a group of organizations led by the Jordanian Tourism Board is holding "Jordan House" at the San Jose Convention Center this Sunday and Monday. The event is free and open to the public, running until 10:45 p.m. on Sunday and from 3:15 to 10:55 p.m. on Monday. The event will feature Jordanian musicians, comedians, dance and food as well as a watch party for Monday's match.
On Sunday, the event saw hundreds milling about the convention center with red-on-white patterned scarves - the Shemagh, Jordan's national headscarf - wrapped around their heads or draped by the hosts across the shoulders of guests as a gift to perfect strangers. The scent of pistachio and spices invited visitors toward vendors who offered samples of sweets stuffed with dates or nuts and shots of strong black coffee spiced heavily with cardamom. Elsewhere, a station offered kebab sandwiches and intensely minty bottles of lemonade dyed light green by the herb, as "habibi" – "my dear" – floated from the lips of shopkeepers. Music in Arabic blasted throughout the space as visitors clapped and danced to the rhythm, and children crowded a tiny indoor soccer field built to commemorate the occasion.
"We've never experienced anything like this," said Jordan Makableh, who sold kebab sandwiches and mint tea at the event and owns the restaurant Mazra in Redwood City and San Bruno. He noted that although there is a strong community in the Bay Area, it was rare to see so many Jordanians coming together.
"Looking out and seeing a sea of red, it's a beautiful thing," he said in reference to the scarves that covered the crowd. "I feel like there's people from all over the world coming together and showing love" for Jordan, he added.
Even before the event, the matches have been a nexus for proud Jordanians to gather together. Alawami of the fan association organized two convoys, one from San Francisco and the other routed through San Diego and Los Angeles, with more than a hundred cars and a thousand fans that met together and marched a half mile to Levi’s Stadium for the first game. He said that even those who have never seen a soccer game - or didn't even know the rules of the sport - have come out to support the team, given the gravity of the occasion. "They're not necessarily soccer fans. They're Jordan fans," Alawami said.
And for some fans, the experience has been unforgettable.
Murad Alkaddumi came from Los Angeles to watch the matches and said he would be going to Dallas to watch Jordan again. "It's been the best experience, and this makes it even more fun," he said, gesturing at the scores of Jordanians and Jordanian fans who milled about the conference center.
Himself a fan of both Jordan and Jordanian soccer, he described Jordan reaching the World Cup as a massive achievement. "It's overwhelming. … I saw all the struggles that they have to reach here," he said.
Like many, Alkaddumi noted that the global stage - especially in the United States, a center of cultural and media power - offered an opportunity for the world to see what Jordan had to offer from its food to its hospitality.
"It gives you a sense of who we are as Jordanians. We're welcoming … there's a spirit of kindness," said Justin Abu Anza, assistant director of marketing for the Jordan Tourism Board. "We have a saying in Jordan: ‘You can't clap with one hand' - you need to collaborate."
Many added that despite the fact that the region was often surrounded by conflict, they pushed back against the perception and asserted the safety of their nation. Recently, the country has found itself in the crossfire of conflict in the countries that surround it. Iran has attacked U.S. air bases in Jordan and launched hundreds of missiles and drones toward the country, according to the Jordanian army.
Given the news cycles that have focused on conflict, Olga Jilani, of San Jose, a Palestinian American married to a Jordanian, said Jordan's World Cup presence was a moment of joy. "It does that: sports bring us together, unite us and give us cheer. … I'm very proud and very excited."
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 4:59 PM.