A New Era of Indonesian Football
One of the major changes in Indonesian football is the implementation of a more focused long-term strategy. PSSI under the new leadership of Mr. Erik Thohir has shown its commitment to building a stronger foundation for Indonesian football. This can be seen from the more focused youth player development program.
Young players such as Marselino Ferdinan, Pratama Arhan, and Rizky Ridho are real proof of the results of investment in the new generation. They bring not only excellent individual technique, but also a competitive mentality that suits the demands of modern football. Their involvement in the senior squad has a positive impact, both in terms of the quality of play and confidence in matches.
The recruitment of coach Shin Tae-yong is also one of PSSI’s strategies to bring the Indonesian National Team to a higher level. In recent years, coach Shin Tae-yong has had a significant impact, not only in building tactics but also in forming a champion mentality in the Indonesian national team.
Shin Tae-yong, who has international experience, has succeeded in bringing a professional approach that was previously rarely applied in Indonesian football. His focus on physical fitness, tactical discipline, and player rotation has changed the way the National Team plays. Now, Indonesia’s game is more organized, with faster attacking and defensive transitions. This is a big step compared to the often monotonous playing patterns in the past.
In an effort to improve the quality of the Indonesian national team, PSSI has naturalized several players who have blood or relations with Indonesia for all lines from defense to attack. Most recently, Indonesia naturalized Kevin Diks on November 7, 2024. The naturalized players have brought a competitive mentality from their experience in European leagues.
The Journey of the Indonesian National Team in the 2026 World Cup Qualification in the Asian Zone
Indonesia started the 2026 World Cup Qualification from the first round or early phase, because Indonesia is included in the 20 countries with the lowest FIFA ranking in the Asian Zone.
In the first round, the Indonesian National Team had to face Brunei Darussalam. The Indonesian National Team did not encounter any significant problems in the first round, with a 12-0 victory over Brunei Darussalam in the first round, Indonesia managed to advance to the second round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification in the Asian Zone
In the second round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification in the Asian Zone, Indonesia was included in Group F with Iraq, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
In the first match against Iraq, Indonesia had to swallow a crushing defeat with a score of 1-5 in Barsa on November 16, 2023.
In the second match, Indonesia faced the host Philippines and received a draw with a score of 1-1 in Manila on November 21, 2024.
Then in the third match, the Indonesian National Team managed to bounce back by winning the first victory in the second round over Vietnam with a score of 1-0 at the GBK Main Stadium on March 21, 2024.
Then in the fourth match, Indonesia managed to win a landslide victory over Vietnam with a convincing score of 3-0 in Hanoi on March 26, 2024.
In the fifth match, Indonesia had to admit Iraq’s superiority, this time Indonesia lost to Iraq with a score of 2-0 at the GBK Stadium on June 6, 2024.
In the last match, Indonesia managed to bounce back from defeat and won over the Philippines with a score of 2-0 at the GBK Stadium on June 11, 2024.
With 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, Indonesia managed to advance to the third round of the World Cup Qualification 2026 Asia Zone as runner up Group F.
In the third round, the Indonesian National Team was included in Group C with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, and Bahrain.
In the first match against Saudi Arabia, a regular in the World Cup, Indonesia managed to hold Saudi Arabia to a 1-1 draw at King Abdullah Sport City (Saudi Arabia) on September 6, 2024.
In the second match, the Indonesian National Team again faced a strong team, namely Australia, in this match the Indonesian National Team managed to hold Australia to a 0-0 draw at the GBK Main Stadium on September 10, 2026.
Then in the third match against Bahrain, the Indonesian National Team was cheated by the decision of the referee from Oman Ali Al-Bulayhi who added extra time from 90+6 to 90+9 which resulted in Bahrain scoring an equalizer. The victory in sight had to disappear, the equalizer in the 90+9 minute caused Indonesia to draw 2-2 in Rifa (Bahrain) on October 10, 2024.
Then in the fourth match, the Indonesian National Team faced China, in this match coach Shin Tae-yong rotated many players, Tom Haye as the commander in the midfield was only played at the end of the match. This resulted in Indonesia having to swallow defeat to China with a score of 2-1 at Qingdao Stadium (China) on October 15, 2024.
In the fifth match, Indonesia had to face the Asian giant, Japan, in this match Indonesia had to admit Japan’s superiority and had to submit with a score of 4-0 at the GBK Main Stadium on November 15, 2024.
Most recently in the sixth match, Indonesia managed to bounce back from defeat by defeating Saudi Arabia with a convincing score of 2-0 at the GBK Stadium on October 19, 2024. Marselino Ferdinan as the main star in this match managed to score 2 goals against Saudi Arabia.
With 1 win, 3 draws, and 1 loss, Indonesia managed to climb to 3rd place in the Group C standings of the 2026 World Cup Qualification in the Asian Zone.
The transformation of the Indonesian National Team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is a reflection of the collective effort to bring national football to a higher level. From the development of young players, experienced coaches, to infrastructure support, all elements show a positive direction.
However, this journey will not be easy. The challenges in the Asian zone remain great and Indonesia must continue to show consistent improvement if it wants to compete with strong countries. Regardless of the final result in this qualifier, the transformation that has occurred is a step forward that deserves to be appreciated. With a strong commitment from all parties, the dream of bringing Garuda to fly high on the world stage is no longer just a dream, but an increasingly real goal.
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