Indonesia makes history for Southeast Asian football, AFC praises

Results of the 9th match of the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia

18:10 June 5: Japan 1-0 Australia (Group C)

20:45 June 5: Indonesia 1-0 China (Group C)

23:00 June 5: Oman 0-3 Jordan (Group B)

23:00 June 5: UAE 0-0 Uzbekistan (Group A)

23:00 June 5: Bahrain 0-2 Saudi Arabia (Group C)

01:15 June 6: Kuwait 0-2 Palestine (Group B)

01:15 June 6: Qatar 1-0 Iran (Group A)

01:15 June 6: North Korea 2-2 Kyrgyzstan (Group A)

01:15 June 6: Iraq 0-2 South Korea (Group B)

Last night (June 5), Indonesia won 1-0 against China in the penultimate match of the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. This result, along with Bahrain's 0-2 defeat to Saudi Arabia, helped Indonesia secure a ticket to the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

Indonesia làm nên lịch sử cho bóng đá Đông Nam Á, AFC hết lời khen ngợi - 1 — Indonesia became the first Southeast Asian team to qualify for the third round of the World Cup (Photo: AFC).

They currently have 12 points, 6 points more than China and Bahrain while there is only 1 round left in the tournament. On the other hand, coach Kluivert's team also has no hope of winning a direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup right from the third qualifying round when they are 4 points behind the second-placed team, Australia.

Nevertheless, by reaching the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Indonesia still made history for Southeast Asian football. They became the first team in the region to qualify for the third round of this tournament.

In the past, the Vietnamese and Thai teams entered the third qualifying round of the World Cup but both had to stop early with the bottom position in the group.

Indonesia is also the Southeast Asian team with the most points at this stage. In the past, the Vietnamese team won 4 points in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup, while Thailand only had 2 points. Garuda's score (the nickname of the Indonesian team) is completely superior to the two teams in the same region with 12 points.

In addition, the team from the archipelago is also the Southeast Asian team with the most wins (3 wins) and the most goals (9 goals) in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

Indonesia làm nên lịch sử cho bóng đá Đông Nam Á, AFC hết lời khen ngợi - 2 — Indonesia is still on the journey to hunt for tickets to attend the 2026 World Cup (Photo: AFC).

Before Indonesia's achievement, ASEAN Football website praised: "Indonesia's victory over China did not help them win a direct ticket to the World Cup from the third qualifying round, but it brought them closer to history.

Indonesia has advanced to the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. It is a stage that will create a real boost when there is another chance to qualify for the biggest football festival on the planet. The dream continues. Garuda is flying higher than ever.

Meanwhile, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) commented: “The victory over China helped Indonesia secure a ticket to the fourth qualifying round of the World Cup, where there will be two more tickets to the tournament. Meanwhile, China has no hope of participating in the World Cup.”

In the final match, Indonesia will face Japan on June 10. It is a match that no longer has much meaning for the two teams.