Ray of hope for Indonesia
If Indonesia cannot win against China in the 9th match - Group C of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, things will become much more difficult for Indonesia. Ole Romeny (born in the Netherlands) was the one who scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot to help Indonesia beat China, thereby helping the archipelago team secure a ticket to the 4th qualifying round one match early (the last match against Japan on June 10). Although the Indonesian team could not break into the top 2 teams in the group to win a direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup, there is still a glimmer of hope for the biggest football tournament on the planet.
Indonesia (right) is the first Southeast Asian team to pass the third qualifying round of the World Cup - PHOTO: REUTERS
Previously, the Indonesian team left a strong impression with 2 unbeaten matches (1 draw, 1 win) against the very strong representative of West Asia, Saudi Arabia, 1 draw with Australia and most recently defeated China. This is the first time in history that Indonesia has participated in the 3rd qualifying round of a World Cup. At the same time, Indonesia also became the first representative of Southeast Asian football to pass the 3rd qualifying round. Thailand and Vietnam have also competed in the 3rd qualifying round in the past, at the 2018 World Cup and the 2022 World Cup respectively, but both stopped with quite modest achievements. FIFA's increase in the number of teams participating in the World Cup finals from 32 to 48 teams, and at the same time giving Asia 8.5 places (previously only 4.5 places) has made the competition opportunities of mid-level teams in the continent significantly higher. However, it cannot be denied that the investment efforts of the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI), especially in naturalizing players from European countries (mostly the Netherlands), have been effective. Although previously, the massive naturalization policy to "Europeanize" the Indonesian national teams had created mixed opinions. Moreover, PSSI also showed its ambition to expand to the big sea when inviting former Dutch football player Patrick Kluivert to lead the Indonesian team.
In the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, 6 teams are divided equally into 2 groups, playing a round-robin at a centralized location, from October 8 to 14. The two group winners in this round will win tickets to the 2026 World Cup finals. Meanwhile, the two second-placed teams will play a play-off, and the winner of this match will compete in an intercontinental play-off to compete for a ticket. With what has been shown, the Indonesian team can completely make a difference in the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, where names such as Iraq, Qatar and UAE are certain. The 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia will officially end after the final match on June 10.
5 ASIAN TEAMS WIN TICKETS TO 2026 World Cup
Up to now, 5 Asian representatives have officially participated in the 2026 World Cup: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Jordan. Uzbekistan and Jordan are both participating in the biggest tournament on the planet for the first time.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/co-hoi-cho-indonesia-gianh-ve-world-cup-2026-185250606213328967.htm
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