Mohammad Abualnadi played a key role in helping Jordan qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Born in the United States, he grew up playing futsal in Kansas before playing college football, later representing Jordan at youth and senior national levels [1, 2, 3]. In 2024, Abualnadi featured for Al-Hussein in Jordan, winning the Jordanian Pro League, had a brief stint at Al-Qasim in Iraq, and then joined Malaysian club Selangor, where he has made 53 appearances across all competitions [1, 2, 3]. He has earned 14 caps for Jordan without scoring [1, 2, 3].
Noor Al-Rawabdeh also helped Jordan secure its maiden World Cup qualification. He has 58 caps and 3 goals for the national team [1, 2, 3]. Al-Rawabdeh played for Al-Jazeera in Jordan before winning the AFC Cup in 2021 with Bahrain’s Al-Muharraq [1, 2, 3]. He returned to Jordan to play with Al-Faisaly in 2022 before moving to Selangor in Malaysia [1, 2, 3].
Dutch-born Gervane Kastaneer represents Curacao internationally and is the island’s top scorer in World Cup qualifiers with five goals [1, 2, 3].
Rebin Sulaka and Frans Putros, players active in regional clubs, contributed to Iraq qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 40 years [1, 2, 3].
In 2023, Abualnadi appeared six times in MLS Next Pro and once in the US Open Cup for Sporting Kansas City [1, 2, 3]. The following year, he was called up to Jordan’s senior team for the third round of Asian World Cup qualifiers and helped secure qualification [1, 2, 3].
These five players highlight the growing influence of ASEAN-based footballers on the international stage. Selangor, their Malaysian club, will be closely watching their performances at the World Cup starting later this year.
