Iraq or Jordan.. Which Is Under Pressure in the Upcoming Summit?
The confrontation between the Iraqi national team and Jordan does not seem like any other encounter, as it links calculations of the past with the present, making it a highly anticipated popular summit full of excitement and suspense, receiving significant media coverage in both countries.
The two brotherly teams will meet the day after tomorrow, Friday, at the Education City Stadium, in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Arab Cup, both hoping to overcome the other and continue their path to compete for the title.
Both the Jordanian and Iraqi teams realize that achieving victory will not be an easy task, as the balance of power seems relatively equal and each side’s cards are exposed to the other after they met several times over the past two years, prompting some experts to describe their encounters as a classic due to their continuity.
There is no doubt that both are under great pressure, as they hope to continue their journey in the Arab Cup, but the Iraqi team may feel under greater pressure since it did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Therefore, it will refuse to exit the Arab Cup early and will fight to regain the trust of its fans.
Perhaps the presence of both teams in Qatar is enough to bring back memories of the past, specifically that famous marathon match between them in the round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup.
On that day, the Jordanian team succeeded in winning 3-2 after a last-minute goal scored by Nizar Al-Rashdan with a tremendous shot that still lingers in memories.
On Friday, as time and place renew, the Jordanian team will find itself facing a recurring scene, even if the name of the tournament differs, with its sole motivation being to avenge that loss.
The Iraqi team has not forgotten that the Nashama qualified for the 2026 World Cup finals in the same group they found themselves in, and it hopes to win against its rival to prove that it was the one who deserved to qualify.
It is worth mentioning that the last match between the two teams was in June, held at Amman International Stadium as part of the final round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals, where the Iraqi team succeeded in winning 1-0.
