2026 World Cup: Algeria come from behind to beat Jordan 2-1 at Levi’s Stadium

Algeria claimed an important victory over Jordan (2-1) in their 2026 World Cup Group J meeting, played on Tuesday, June 23, at Levi’s Stadium. After conceding the opening goal in the 36th minute through Nizar Al-Rashdan, the Desert Foxes turned the match around thanks to second-half goals from Ahmed Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri.

Before this match, both teams had suffered defeats in their opening group games, with Jordan losing to Austria (1-3) and Algeria falling to Argentina (0-3). This victory gives Algeria their first points of the group stage and revives their hopes of qualifying, while Jordan must now dig deep to keep believing.

Tactically, Jordan relied on a 3-4-2-1 setup under head coach Jamal Sellami. The defensive trio of Nasib, Al-Arab and Abudahab was supported by a four-man midfield with Al-Rashdan and Noor Al-Rawabdeh as the driving forces. Mousa Tamari, Ali Olwan and Mahmoud Al-Mardi led the attacking unit. It was Nizar Al-Rashdan who opened the scoring after a good cross from Tamari.

Algeria, lined up in a 4-2-3-1 by Vladimir Petkovic, dominated possession (73%) and created numerous chances with an attacking trio of Riyad Mahrez, Farès Chaïbi and Ibrahim Maza supporting Amine Gouiri up front. Goalkeeper Luca Zidane was called into action several times, while the defence featuring Mandi, Bensebaini and Aït-Nouri held firm before Benbouali, introduced at half-time, put Algeria back on track in the 69th minute from a Mahrez assist. In the 82nd minute, Gouiri sealed the Algerian win, completing the Desert Foxes’ comeback.

Jordan seek a response after a strong start

Despite being limited to 27% possession, Jordan showed defensive solidity throughout the first half, capped by Nizar Al-Rashdan’s goal (36th). Goalkeeper Yazeed Abu Laila, who made six saves, was one of the few bright spots for Jordan, keeping out opposition attempts. However, Sellami’s 3-4-2-1 formation struggled against Algeria’s technical control and was unable to hold on to its advantage.

Algeria impose their tempo and earn a vital win

Driven by their control of play and constant pressing, Algeria imposed their style with strong activity in midfield, notably through Ramiz Zerrouki and Hicham Boudaoui. Captain Riyad Mahrez, a key figure, provided the assist that Benbouali converted to equalise. Coach Vladimir Petkovic showed tactical intelligence by making several changes and strengthening his attack. Amine Gouiri’s finish, on his first start, allowed Algeria to turn their efforts into a result in the final half-hour.

Jordan

Finished 1-2 Levi's Stadium

Algeria

23/06/2026 04:00 · Group J

Fil du match

1. 36'⚽But - N. Al Rashdan (passe M. Tamari)Jordanieieie, 36e
2. 44'Carton jaune - R. ZerroukiAlgérie, 44e
3. 46'↑↓Remplacement - R. Zerrouki (remplace N. Bentaleb)Algérie, 46e
4. 46'↑↓Remplacement - H. Boudaoui (remplace N. Benbouali)Algérie, 46e
5. 64'Carton jaune - H. Abu DahabJordanieieie, 64e
6. 69'⚽But - N. Benbouali (passe R. Mahrez)Algérie, 69e
7. 76'↑↓Remplacement - R. Mahrez (remplace A. Hadj Moussa)Algérie, 76e
8. 76'↑↓Remplacement - M. Al Mardi (remplace O. Al Fakhouri)Jordanieieie, 76e
9. 82'⚽But - A. GouiriAlgérie, 82e
10. 84'↑↓Remplacement - M. Tamari (remplace A. Azaizeh)Jordanieieie, 84e
11. 85'↑↓Remplacement - M. Abu Taha (remplace M. Abu Hasheesh)Jordanieieie, 85e
12. 85'↑↓Remplacement - R. Ait-Nouri (remplace J. Hadjam)Algérie, 85e
13. 86'↑↓Remplacement - A. Gouiri (remplace Z. Belaid)Algérie, 86e
14. 90+1'↑↓Remplacement - H. Abu Dahab (remplace S. Obaid)Jordanieieie, 90+1e
15. 90+2'↑↓Remplacement - A. Olwan (remplace Shararh)Jordanieieie, 90+2e

Les chiffres du match

• Tirs cadres : Jordan 4 / Algeria 8
• Tirs : Jordan 8 / Algeria 17
• Possession : Jordan 27% / Algeria 73%
• Corners : Jordan 1 / Algeria 9
• Fautes : Jordan 10 / Algeria 6
• Cartons jaunes : Jordan 1 / Algeria 1
• Passes : Jordan 232 / Algeria 620
• Precision des passes : Jordan 72% / Algeria 88%
• xG : Jordan 0.65 / Algeria 1.81

Joueurs clés

• Ahmed Nadhir Benbouali (Algeria) : note 7.3, 1 but(s)
• Yazeed Abu Laila (Jordan) : note 7.2, 6 arret(s)
• Amine Gouiri (Algeria) : note 7.2, 1 but(s)
• Nizar Al-Rashdan (Jordan) : note 6.9, 1 but(s)
• Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) : note 7.3, 1 passe(s) decisive(s)

Group J schedule

View full schedule

View match details for Argentina - Algeria

17/06 Group J

Argentina

Finished 3-0 Arrowhead Stadium

Algeria

View match details for Austria - Jordan

17/06 Group J

Austria

Finished 3-1 Levi's Stadium

Jordan

View match details for Argentina - Austria

22/06 Group J

Argentina

Finished 2-0 AT&T Stadium

Austria

View match details for Jordan - Algeria

23/06 Group J

Jordan

Finished 1-2 Levi's Stadium

Algeria

View match details for Algeria - Austria

28/06 Group J

Algeria

Upcoming 03:00 Arrowhead Stadium

Austria

View match details for Jordan - Argentina

28/06 Group J

Jordan

Upcoming 03:00 AT&T Stadium

Argentina