Seven-year-old Odeh Al-Fakhoury
Viral 2013 Roya video shows young football star Odeh Fakhoury’s World Cup dream
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- Rare 2013 video shows young Odeh Fakhoury dreaming of football stardom.
- Coaches praised his early technical skill and team spirit.
- Jordan drawn in same World Cup group as Argentina, possibly facing Messi.
- Fakhoury now a cornerstone of the national team.
As Jordan prepares for the 2026 World Cup, a rare video from 2013 is going viral, showing current national team star Odeh Fakhoury as a seven-year-old sharing his big dreams on Roya.
In the interview, Fakhoury spoke confidently about his passion for football and his early training experience at FC Barcelona, saying, “I want to be better than Messi and better than Cristiano Ronaldo.” Those childhood ambitions have since shaped a career that has made him one of the pillars of the Jordanian national team, Al-Nashama.
Coaches who worked with Fakhoury as a child praised his talent and mentality. One said, “He has a way of thinking that makes him feel the ball is part of him, and he plays with a team spirit.” Another added that this generation of players, starting training as early as six, would form a strong foundation for Jordan’s national squad.
The upcoming World Cup could bring Fakhoury face-to-face with Lionel Messi, as the tournament draw placed Jordan and Argentina in the same group. Thirteen years after the child expressed his dream on Roya, he may now compete directly against one of his idols on football’s biggest stage.
