Kansas City native will make his debut in the World Cup. So will his home nation
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mohammad Abualnadi, 25, will represent Jordan at the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
- Jordan will make its first World Cup appearance and is placed in Group J.
- Abualnadi started 7 qualifying matches and has 13 senior caps; he's also a KC native.
The 2026 World Cup will already have some Kansas City flair as a host city.
The play on the field will have some local flair, too, with a KC native playing for one of the squads.
Overland Park native and Blue Valley High alum Mohammad Abualnadi will represent his Asian home nation of Jordan in the World Cup, the first of his career. It is a historic moment for both Abualnadi and Jordan; the nation is making its World Cup debut this summer.
Abualnadi, 25, is a defender, mainly positioned at center back, who helped Jordan qualify for the tournament with six starts during World Cup qualification matches.
He is the first Kansan to play in the World Cup since Sporting Kansas City great Matt Besler represented the United States in 2014.
Abualnadi played for Jordan’s youth national teams and has 17 appearances with the senior team. He also played for Palestine’s U23 team in 2022.
Listed at 6-foot-1, he played for Selangor FC in Malaysia’s top league since Sept. 2024. Selangor FC is one of the league’s top teams and has played in continental club competitions the past few seasons.
Abualnadi developed in Sporting KC’s youth academy and played college soccer at Notre Dame and Pittsburgh from 2019 to 2022. He played for SKC’s reserve team (SKC II, then Swope Park Rangers) and appeared in a 2023 U.S. Open Cup match for the team.
Jordan, ranked 63rd in FIFA’s world rankings, is in Group J and will face Austria (June 16, Santa Clara), Algeria (June 22, Santa Clara) and Argentina (June 27, Dallas) in their first three matches.
