The Big Interview: Maysa Jbarah

Jordan striker Maysa Jbarah is the third top scorer in international women's football, yet few know her story. The 33-year-old speaks about issues facing the women's game in the Middle East.

Journalism like this takes time, effort and resources. For access to all our big interviews and features and to support further Big Interviews, please consider a paid subscription.

Check out our other Big Interviews, which you’ll gain access to with either a £10 a month monthly subscription or £60 annual subscription…

---

Maysa Jbarah has 130 goals in 124 games for Jordan and has just joined Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Image: Jordan Football Association

Canada’s Christine Sinclair and USA’s Abby Wambach are well-known as two modern day legends of the game. Out on their own as the top scorers in international football, Sinclair surpassed the now retired Wambach a couple of years back and sits on an incredible 190 goals for her country – and she’s still going.

Wambach set the benchmark with 184 in just 255 caps when she retired in 2015, and the pair for over two decades have set the standard for what it means to be a forward at the highest level, and both have individual and team accolades to show for their efforts.

But, who is third? It’s not Germany legend Birgit Prinz, who is fourth, or even the great Marta, six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, who is sixth.

It is Jordan’s Maysa Jbarah, who at 33 years old has an incredible 130 goals in just 124 caps. Yes, that’s more goals than caps. Largely unknown and unrecognised due to the nation she represents, Jbarah has never played at a major tournament, her domestic career taking her as far as France, while she’s just joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, the same club as her fellow great goal scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo.

“It’s an honour, but sometimes you think ‘why?’ I’m doing all of this but there is no appreciation…”

“Legends, yeah,” she smiles at the mention of Sinclair and Wambach’s names. “It’s honestly an honour to be one of these players. When I say the names, I feel goose bumps. Marta is after me! How crazy is that? It’s an honour, but sometimes you think ‘why?’

“I’m doing all of this but there is no appreciation, we don’t really get any appreciation here. There is little media interest, but for me, I achieved something. I wanted to play in a World Cup and it will be really difficult, I have started to think I will retire before I reach it, but that kind of achievement for me does compensate for going, a little. Imagine if we did? It would be achieving everything I wanted in life, then I could retire.”

Jordan are ranked 69^th in the world, higher than nations like Morocco and Zambia who will both be at the World Cup this summer. They are no minnow. They’ve qualified for the Asia Cup twice but missed out narrowly in 2022, ending any shot of a World Cup and what may have been the veteran’s last chance at a major tournament.

“Ah, we really tried,” she sighs, recalling losing out to Iran on penalties in the qualifiers for the most recent Asia Cup in 2022, which acted as a qualification phase for the World Cup.