Does Southeast Asia have enough strength to participate in the 2030 World Cup with 64 teams?

Vietnam needs to think of a way to overcome Indonesia before dreaming of the World Cup.

With the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers now 99% complete, with only two play-off matches remaining to determine who will qualify for the intercontinental play-offs, Southeast Asian football is once again looking at the rest of the continent from afar. No representative has secured a World Cup ticket, and the result has once again sounded a wake-up call for the region’s ambitions.

Disappointment from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Indonesia, the most expected team in Southeast Asia in the qualifying round, created great confidence after passing the second round and entering the group of 18 strongest teams in Asia in the third stage. The team dubbed "Netherlands 2.0" also ranked above China and Bahrain to enter the fourth stage.

However, when facing opponents from West Asia such as Iraq or Saudi Arabia - a group considered to be ranked only after Japan, South Korea, Iran or Australia - the team of the archipelago quickly revealed its limitations. Losing both matches, Indonesia was not only eliminated but also had the worst performance in the 4th stage as the only team out of 6 teams without a point.

Indonesia lost both matches in the fourth qualifying round.

This is a result that disappointed fans not only in Indonesia but also in the whole Southeast Asia region. Because even when using the ultimate "trick" of "Dutchifying" the team - massively naturalizing players - Indonesia only shortened the distance, but when reaching the finish line, facing a tough opponent, they were out of breath.

If Indonesia cannot compete, it is bad news for Vietnamese and Thai football. Because the problem for Vietnam and Thailand now is how to defeat the Dutch version of Indonesia, not the World Cup dream anymore.

World Cup 2030 and a distant dream

The 2030 World Cup is being considered a historic milestone - the tournament celebrates 100 years since the birth of the world's largest football playground. Many sources believe that FIFA may expand the scale to 64 teams to create a truly "global festival". If that scenario becomes a reality, Asia is expected to have four more World Cup spots, bringing the total to about 12.

On the surface, this seems like a ray of hope for Southeast Asia. But in reality, even with four more tickets for Asia, the chances for teams in the region are still not simple.

Reality proves that even with a "European-mixed" team that costs a lot of money to treat, Indonesia still cannot compete with West Asian football teams that inherently have superior depth and international experience.

Teams like Qatar and Saudi Arabia have just won tickets, and teams like Iraq, UAE, and Oman are also of high quality. Other West Asian countries like Yemen, Syria, and Palestine, when they have overcome the crisis to build their national teams, are also very strong. Even if needed, they have a rich source of naturalized players because the Arab community in Europe is very large.

FIFA is under pressure to increase the number of teams participating in the World Cup.

More regrettably, the prospect of a 64-team World Cup in 2030 is facing a lot of opposition. The main host countries - Spain, Portugal and Morocco - are said to be against the plan because of concerns about infrastructure and organisational overload.

UEFA, CONCACAF and many other federations also believe that expanding too quickly will reduce the quality of professional skills. If FIFA withdraws the plan, the number of teams will remain at 48, and thus, the opportunity for Southeast Asia will be closed further.

Source: https://znews.vn/dong-nam-a-co-du-luc-du-world-cup-2030-voi-64-doi-post1593943.html