Published on 6/23/2026
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Last update: 03:03 (Mecca time)
The participation of Jordanian national team player Muhammad Abu Zureiq, known as “Sharara,” in the 2026 World Cup finals was not an ordinary event for his family or the people of his neighborhood in the city of Ramtha in northern Jordan. Rather, every match played by “Al-Nashama” turned into a group event that mobilized the family, neighbors, and friends from the early hours of dawn, to watch one of their sons represent Jordan on the largest football stage in the world.
Al Jazeera Net went to the town of Al-Shajara in the Ramtha district, the far north of Jordan on the border with Syria, to meet the family of international player Muhammad Abu Zureiq “Sharara”, where it monitored the atmosphere of following his matches with the Jordanian national team in the World Cup, and explored the feelings of pride and anxiety that his family and neighbors experience with every appearance he makes on the field.
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The family of the Jordanian star, “Sharara,” tells the story of his struggle
Although he did not play his country’s national team’s match against Austria today, Wednesday, the player’s father, Faisal Abu Zureiq, said in an interview with Al Jazeera.net that the atmosphere of the matches begins hours before their start, especially when they are held at dawn, explaining that family members and neighborhood people gather at the family home to follow the matches.
He added: “It becomes a state of emergency in almost the entire neighborhood. We meet early in the morning and watch the match together. We feel that the team’s arrival in the World Cup is a great achievement for Jordan, even though it is a small country in size, but it has become big in the eyes of the world.”
Sharara’s participation in the World Cup carries special meanings for his family, which has accompanied him since his first steps in popular stadiums. While family members feel very proud to see their son in the national team’s jersey on the World Cup stage, their feelings of anxiety are not absent during the matches.
His uncle, Ibrahim Abu Zureiq, told Al Jazeera.net that the family lives every minute of the match with great tension, especially when it starts. He added: “We feel proud, of course, when we see him in the starting lineup, but there is also a natural fear for him, because the fans follow every touch and every decision on the field. We want him to succeed and give his best, and we know the magnitude of the responsibility placed on him and his teammates.”
He continues: “Even if he sits on the bench or comes on as a substitute, our attention remains focused on him and the team as a whole. What is important is that he serves the team and provides the required addition, as this participation is not only a personal achievement, but represents all of Jordan.”
A journey that started from the alleys
The player’s father recalls his son’s beginnings with football, stressing that his passion for the game appeared since his early childhood years. He says that Muhammad started playing in kindergarten and then in schoolyards and popular neighborhoods, before his talent gradually developed.
He added: “We are a family that loves sports, and Sharara, from a young age, was distinguished by his movement, activity, and love for football. His brother Youssef supported him a lot and stood by his side until he reached this stage.”
The path was not easy for the international player, according to his father, who recounts the details of long years of suffering and the pursuit of a dream. He says that his son used to move between schools and popular stadiums, and sometimes he would travel long distances to reach training with the Ramtha Club and its age groups.
10 kilometers on foot
The player’s father explains that his son would sometimes walk distances of up to 10 kilometers to reach the training field, or use his simple bicycle due to limited capabilities.
He added: “He suffered a lot to reach where he is today. His mother, may God have mercy on her, was waiting for him for long hours until he returned from training, and we were afraid of this hardship for him, but his determination was greater than all the difficulties.”
As for the secret of the nickname “Shararah,” his father reveals that his uncle gave it to him in his childhood because of his great speed and constant movement, and he later became a well-known name in Jordanian and Arab stadiums.
Testimony of neighbors and friends
Talk about “Shara” is not limited to his football talent only, as those close to him confirm that his personality and morals played an important role in his popularity inside and outside Ramtha.
His uncle, Ibrahim Abu Zureiq, says that the player was known from a young age for his humility and good dealings with everyone, adding: “People love him not only because of his skills, but also because of his morals and his closeness to people. He was never involved in a problem, and he enjoyed the respect of his neighbors, friends, and everyone who knew him.”
Between joy and sadness
Regarding the atmosphere inside the house during the matches, family members confirm that the results directly reflect on the feelings in the entire neighborhood. If the team wins, the sessions turn into celebrations that extend for hours, while sadness prevails when they lose, even if feelings of pride remain present because one of the city’s people reached the World Cup.
His uncle says: “Whether the team wins, draws or loses, the feeling of pride remains there. It is true that we are sad when we lose, but we realize that simply reaching this stage is a great achievement, and we believe that the experience will give the players greater experience for the future.”
Between pride and anxiety, and between memories of popular alleys and the lights of the World Cup, the family of Muhammad Abu Zureiq “Sharara” continues to follow his football journey, and they realize that the dream that began one day in one of the streets of Ramtha has today become a success story that Jordanians tell with pride.
