The Most Popular Sports in Jordan (Top 20 Ranked)

Soccer leads Jordan, ahead of Basketball and Taekwondo. Ranking of 20 sports.

This page ranks the sports of Jordan by the evidence behind each one, because no single verified membership or participation dataset covering all sports in Jordan was available in this run, so rank is based on federation affiliation, international competitive results, and documented national prominence rather than one comparable count. The figures come from Jordan Football Association and national federation profiles.

Soccer is on top, followed by Basketball and Taekwondo. The full table below covers 20 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.

The Most Popular Sports in Jordan

The table counts evidence, not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable. The reference year is 2026.

#	Sport	Basis for the placing
1	Soccer	The men’s national team reached the final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the deepest run by any Jordanian national team at a major continental tournament.
2	Basketball	The men’s national team competes regularly in FIBA Asia Cup qualification and final rounds and fields a domestic professional league.
3	Taekwondo	Ahmad Abughaush won the men’s minus 68 kilogram taekwondo final at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jordan’s first Olympic medal of any color.
4	Boxing	Jordan fields boxers in regional and Olympic qualifying tournaments through a national federation affiliated with the international boxing governing structure.
5	Karate	Jordan competes in Arab and Asian karate championships through a national federation recognized by the World Karate Federation structure.
6	Athletics	Jordan sends a national athletics team to Olympic and Asian championship events through its federation affiliated with World Athletics.
7	Swimming	Jordan enters swimmers in Olympic and Arab championship competition through a national federation with organized club level training.
8	Volleyball	Jordan fields men’s and women’s national volleyball teams that compete in Arab and Asian regional tournaments through an organized domestic league.
9	Handball	Jordan fields a national handball team that participates in Arab and Asian regional championship competition through an organized federation.
10	Wrestling	Jordan sends wrestlers to Arab and Asian championship events through a national federation affiliated with the international wrestling governing body.
11	Judo	Jordan competes in Arab and Asian judo championships through a national federation with an organized club structure.
12	Tennis	Jordan fields Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams through a national federation that runs domestic ranking tournaments.
13	Table tennis	Jordan sends table tennis players to Arab and Asian championship events through an organized national federation.
14	Cycling	Jordan hosts and enters national road cycling championships and sends riders to regional Arab and Asian cycling events.
15	Motorsport	The Royal Automobile Club of Jordan has organized national rally and motorsport events, including past rounds tied to international rally competition.
16	Weightlifting	Jordan enters weightlifters in Arab and Asian championship competition through a national federation with organized club training.
17	Fencing	Jordan fields a national fencing federation that trains competitors for Arab and Asian regional tournaments.
18	Shooting sports	Jordan enters shooting sport competitors in Arab, Asian, and Olympic qualifying events through a national federation.
19	Equestrian	Jordan has an organized equestrian federation with royal patronage that runs show jumping and other competitive riding events.
20	Rugby	Rugby in Jordan is organized through a national federation with club and university level teams and regional exhibition matches.

Is There a National Sport of Jordan?

Jordan has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No law or royal decree designating an official national sport for Jordan was found.

• Soccer. Soccer functions as the de facto national sport based on national team prominence and general public following.
• Taekwondo. Taekwondo carries strong symbolic national status as the sport of Jordan’s first Olympic medal.

#1 Soccer

• Governing body: Jordan Football Association
• Top national league: Jordanian Pro League
• Best known athlete: Musa Al Taamari. National team captain and forward who plays professionally in Europe and led the squad through its 2023 Asian Cup final run

Soccer is organized nationally by the Jordan Football Association, which runs the men’s and women’s national teams and the domestic Pro League. The men’s team is affiliated with FIFA and the AFC and reached the final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, its best result at a major continental tournament.

The Pro League is the top domestic competition and feeds the national team pool. Coverage of national team matches draws the largest general public attention of any sport in the country.

#2 Basketball

• Governing body: Jordan Basketball Federation
• Top national league: Jordanian Basketball League
• Best known athlete: Zaid Abbas. Long serving national team captain and one of the highest scoring players in West Asian basketball over an extended international career

Basketball is governed by the Jordan Basketball Federation, which oversees the national teams and the domestic professional league. The men’s national team is a regular participant in FIBA Asia Cup competition.

Club basketball in Amman draws a steady following, and the sport is considered the closest domestic rival to soccer in general public interest.

#3 Taekwondo

• Governing body: Jordan Taekwondo Federation
• Best known athlete: Ahmad Abughaush. Won Jordan’s first ever Olympic medal, a gold in taekwondo at the 2016 Rio Games, which raised the sport’s national profile sharply

Taekwondo is governed by the Jordan Taekwondo Federation and gained national prominence after Ahmad Abughaush won the country’s first Olympic medal, a gold, at the 2016 Rio Games.

That result led to expanded youth training programs and a rise in club membership across Amman and other cities, reflected in the sport’s continued presence at subsequent Olympic cycles.

#4 Boxing

• Governing body: Jordan Boxing Federation

Boxing has an organized federation structure in Jordan that sends competitors to regional Arab and Asian championships and to Olympic qualifying events.

The sport is practiced through club level programs rather than a professional domestic circuit, with national team selection tied to federation run training camps.

#5 Karate

• Governing body: Jordan Karate Federation

Karate is one of several combat sports with an established federation in Jordan, sending competitors to regional Arab and Asian championships.

Club participation is concentrated in Amman and other larger cities, with national team selection built around federation run qualifying events.

#6 Athletics

• Governing body: Jordan Athletics Federation

Track and field is organized through the Jordan Athletics Federation, which selects athletes for Olympic and Asian championship qualification.

Participation runs through school and club programs, with sprint and middle distance events the most commonly contested at national meets.

#7 Swimming

• Governing body: Jordan Swimming Federation

Swimming is organized through the Jordan Swimming Federation, which runs national championships and selects competitors for regional and Olympic qualifying meets.

Training is centered on club pools in Amman and Aqaba, with the sport drawing steady youth participation rather than a large spectator following.

#8 Volleyball

• Governing body: Jordan Volleyball Federation
• Top national league: Jordan Volleyball League

Volleyball is run through the Jordan Volleyball Federation, which operates a domestic league alongside men’s and women’s national teams.

The national teams compete in Arab and West Asian regional tournaments, and the sport has an established base in school and university programs.

#9 Handball

• Governing body: Jordan Handball Federation

Handball is organized nationally through the Jordan Handball Federation, which fields teams for Arab and Asian regional championships.

The sport is played mainly through club and school programs, without a large professional domestic structure.

#10 Wrestling

• Governing body: Jordan Wrestling Federation

Wrestling has a long standing federation structure in Jordan that trains competitors for Arab and Asian championship events.

The sport is practiced through club programs rather than a professional league, with national team spots decided at federation run trials.

#11 Judo

• Governing body: Jordan Judo Federation

Judo is governed by the Jordan Judo Federation, which trains competitors for Arab and Asian championship events and Olympic qualification.

Club participation is smaller than in the higher ranked combat sports, but the federation maintains a consistent national team presence at regional tournaments.

#12 Tennis

• Governing body: Jordan Tennis Federation

Tennis in Jordan is organized through the Jordan Tennis Federation, which runs domestic ranking tournaments and fields national teams for Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competition.

Participation is concentrated in private clubs in Amman, with a smaller base than team sports such as soccer or basketball.

#13 Table tennis

• Governing body: Jordan Table Tennis Federation

Table tennis is run through the Jordan Table Tennis Federation, which organizes national championships and selects players for regional competition.

The sport is played mostly through club and school programs and does not have a professional domestic league.

#14 Cycling

• Governing body: Jordan Cycling Federation

Competitive road cycling is organized through the Jordan Cycling Federation, which runs a national championship and enters riders in Arab and Asian regional events.

The sport is distinct from everyday cycling for transport, which is not counted here as organized sport.

#15 Motorsport

• Governing body: Royal Automobile Club of Jordan

Motorsport in Jordan is organized through the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan, which has run national rally championships and desert racing events.

The sport draws a dedicated but smaller following compared to team sports, concentrated around organized club and rally events.

#16 Weightlifting

• Governing body: Jordan Weightlifting Federation

Weightlifting is organized through the Jordan Weightlifting Federation, which trains and selects athletes for Arab and Asian championship events.

The sport has a smaller organized base than the higher ranked entries, concentrated in dedicated club gyms.

#17 Fencing

• Governing body: Jordan Fencing Federation

Fencing is a smaller organized sport in Jordan, run through the Jordan Fencing Federation with training centered on a limited number of clubs in Amman.

National team selection is tied to performance at regional Arab and Asian tournaments.

#18 Shooting sports

• Governing body: Jordan Shooting Federation

Shooting sports are organized through the Jordan Shooting Federation, which selects competitors for Arab, Asian, and Olympic qualifying events.

Participation is limited to a smaller number of dedicated ranges and clubs compared with mainstream team sports.

#19 Equestrian

• Governing body: Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation

Equestrian sport in Jordan is organized through the Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation, which has long standing royal family involvement and runs show jumping and other competitive riding events.

Participation is concentrated among a smaller group of dedicated riders and stables rather than a mass participation base.

#20 Rugby

• Governing body: Jordan Rugby Federation

Rugby is a newer organized sport in Jordan, run through a national federation with teams at university and club level.

It has the smallest organized base among the sports in this ranking, with growth tied largely to expatriate and university communities.

Sources

• Jordan Football Association and national federation profiles
• Jordan Basketball Federation
• International Olympic Committee, Rio 2016 results
• Jordan Athletics Federation
• Jordan Judo Federation

Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.

FAQ