The World Cup isn’t just a global sporting event — it’s a cultural exchange that, in North Texas, introduces locals to countries, traditions, and communities they may never have encountered before. That’s the case for Jordan, a World Cup contender for the first time in its history. “So many people probably did not hear of Jordan before,” said Adham Shawish, a business owner in Richardson. But on Monday night, more than 2,500 fans filled the Arabian Village in Richardson with the largest crowd the venue has ever seen to watch Algeria and Jordan face off on the pitch. Shawish owns the property and described the atmosphere as electric: cheering, dancing, and people from all backgrounds celebrating side by side. Jordanian culture was everywhere: traditional food, clothing, chants, and flags filling the space with color and sound. “Americans, Arabs, Europeans,” he said. Shawish said as a lifelong soccer fan, he loves the FIFA fever taking over the country, and spanning generations. “I’m very, very happy to see that my kids, other generations, younger or older, everybody is shifting toward soccer,” he said. “I think this is a good opportunity to learn more about soccer, about the country, about dreams they can have in the future,” added Hamza Salameh, another Jordanian fan. His son, Wissam Shawish, said the turnout reflected only a small piece of the pride Jordanians feel. “It only shows a fraction of the excitement and the dedication of our people and how proud they are of their culture,” he said. The 2026 World Cup holds special meaning for Jordanian fans. “It was achieving a dream that everyone was living in Jordan, to have their Jordan team in a World Cup,” said Hamzeh Tahat. That dream is still realized, even though Jordan lost their match. “Just seeing our flag in the crowd, seeing our fellow community members come out to venues like this one and the level of generosity, the level of excitement, that’s stuff that, it’s there regardless, no matter the score at the end of the game,” Wissam said. “So, it doesn’t matter if they can get a goal, if they can’t, if they concede, just them being there is enough for us, and just us being able to watch them is enough for us,” he added. Wissam said seeing his team’s behavior off the field gives him pride. FIFA posted about the players cleaning up their locker room after Monday’s match and leaving gifts for staff. “So many people probably did not hear of Jordan before,” Shawish said. He said that as he learns more about other cultures, he hopes others are learning about his, too. And even though Jordan’s run may be over, that cultural exchange is worth keeping the celebration going. “Everyone is still ready to go to the match here in Dallas Stadium,” Hamzeh said. Jordan’s Tourism Board is partnering with the City of Arlington for a Visit Jordan Experience at the Levitt Pavilion from June 25-27. According to the website, the free three-day festival will include “FIFA World Cup 26™ public viewing events, live entertainment, authentic Jordanian cuisine, a vibrant street bazaar, family activities and immersive tourism experiences that bring the sights, sounds and hospitality of Jordan to the heart of Downtown Arlington. The celebration culminates Saturday night with a public watch party for the historic Jordan vs. Argentina match.” ...read more read less