Club Spotlight – Jordan

Our Club Spotlight series is returning for a special World Cup edition! At this season's tournament, we have four nations competing at their first ever World Cup: Curaçao, Cabo Verde, Uzbekistan, and Jordan. As the competition progresses, we will be highlighting each footballing nation – exploring their political, geographical, and sporting histories and learning how they got here. Next up is Jordan, a middle eastern country with a rich and ancient past, with a population just under 12 million. We talk about Jordan's history dating back 60,000 years, its relationship to English colonization, and the complexities of its geographical positioning. We also discuss their unusually progressive policies towards immigration and refugees and how that has impacted its sporting landscape. Next, we learn about its history in football, including its relatively stable domestic league, the rise of the national team, and how they finally qualified for the big one. Finally, we lament the insanely difficult group they were drawn into, as it limits the heights they can reach at their inaugural World Cup.* Cheers to Jordan! *Note: This podcast was recorded before Jordan's group stage matches. Naturally, they did not pick up any points, but they did acquit themselves well! Chapters: 00:00 – the start 03:00 – history & geography 06:43 – politics & immigration 11:35 – Jordanian domestic league 15:57 – the national team 24:10 – the world cup draw