12-05-2025
Iker Casillas visits Petra, scouts Jordanian talent in Football Challenge
ALBAWABA - On his second day in Jordan, Spanish goalie legend Iker Casillas traveled to the ancient city of Petra.
Casillas traveled to Amman, the capital of Jordan, to take part in the "Iker Casillas Challenge," the fourth iteration of the IRIS Academy Challenge, which seeks to identify up-and-coming football talent in Jordan.
Michel Salgado, a former Real Madrid teammate, is traveling with Casillas to Jordan. In an interactive sporting event that showcases promising Jordanian football skill, they will supervise the process of choosing the best team.
As part of a sports program run by the IRIS Academy to choose the best athletes to represent the Kingdom in an international competition in Spain, Casillas and Salgado will supervise the last selection of young players from different governorates in Jordan on Tuesday, the 13th of this month.
Former Pro Soccer Player Iker Casillas Instagram
The academy is holding preliminary qualifiers with around 8,000 players born in the 2012, 2013, and 2014 age groups. Casillas and Salgado will keep a close eye on the 24 players who will be chosen for the final round.
Jordan's reputation in sports and tourism is improved by the presence of international athletes like Casillas, according to Louai Shomali, director of the Aires Academy, who spoke to Roya Sport. Since its founding, the academy has been committed to identifying and developing football potential in every governorate, he said.
"The current version of the program is an extension of previous successes, as the academy has been able to highlight many emerging players," Shomali continued, highlighting the project's significance in advancing Jordan as a destination for sports and tourism.
Shomali expressed gratitude to all of the program's backers and emphasized the academy's dedication to keeping up its investment in young people and giving them chances to display their abilities in front of a global audience.
One of the most well-known athletic models devoted to developing and showcasing the upcoming generation of young athletes is the Iker Casillas Challenge, which is being hosted this year amidst increased interest from the local and regional sports community.
