Jordan, Qatar reach 2024 Asian Cup final

Jordan, considered an underdog throughout most of its Asian Cup journey, has grown into the tournament with each new round. It struggled through the group stage, earning an easy win over Malaysia before drawing with South Korea and losing to Bahrain, and barely survived a tense Round of 16 match against Iraq — one that ended with a last-minute winner and two red cards. 

But that Iraq victory brought Jordan immense confidence, and it sailed through the next two rounds in style. It beat Tajikistan 1-0 in the quarterfinals before dispatching South Korea 2-0 in the semis. Jordan was considered an underdog against the South Koreans, but it dominated the match from start to finish, with the media going so far as to call it a "humiliation" for Korea.

Qatar's journey was the opposite of Jordan's. It started off brilliantly but devolved into struggle and complications.

Early wins against Lebanon, Tajikistan and China bolstered Qatar's confidence, and a reasonably comfortable 2-1 victory over Palestine in the Round of 16 made it look like a championship contender. But a hard-fought penalty win over Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals took the wind out of Qatar's sails, and the team nearly found itself eliminated by Iran in the semis. It took a late goal from Almoez Ali — and some brilliant defending — for the Qataris to hold off the Iranians in the end.

Jordan's team is an unknown quantity for many American fans, with just one player — Montpellier's Musa Al-Taamari — playing his club soccer in the West. The majority of the team plays in Jordan's domestic league, with a few outliers based in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. 

Qatar's team, though more familiar to Americans given its participation in the last two Gold Cups, is entirely domestic, with all 26 athletes playing their club soccer in Qatar.

When we speak about league soccer in the Middle East, we often speak about sportswashing and petrodollars and the propped-up Saudi league and its moves toward global soccer domination. But Middle Eastern soccer is deeper and more competitive than we give it credit for.

Jordan's Cinderella run to the Asian Cup final and Qatar's impressive back-to-back final appearances, both led by largely domestic squads, shows that soccer in the Middle East is bigger, deeper and healthier than the Saudi headlines lead us to believe. This Asian Cup final will be the 11th won by a Middle Eastern nation of out 17 total.

Jordan and Qatar will face off in the final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Saturday,