The Jordan national football team formed in 1949. The team affiliated to FIFA in 1958 and joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1974. The team has played for almost 60 years but has yet to qualify for a world cup.
Jordan first found success by competing in local and regional tournaments. The team won the Pan Arab Games in 1997 and 1999. Jordan is also a regular host of tournaments, including the Pan Arab Games and Arab Nations Cup. Since the millennium the team has consistently improved results in both friendlies and tournaments. The team reached the quarter-finals of the Arab Nations Cup in 2002, their best finish.
Jordan qualified for their first Asian Cup in 2004. The team performed well and reached the quarter-finals to play Japan. With the score level at 1-1 after extra-time, Jordan were eliminated on penalties. The team achieved the same feat in the 2011 Asian Cup, but lost in open play 2-1 to Uzbekistan.
Jordan are improving at solid rate. The team has every chance of a top 50 place in the coming years, especially after they only narrowly lost out on qualification for Brazil 2014. The team lost at the final hurdle, an inter-continental qualifier against Uruguay.