Indonesia dreams of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The draw for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia yesterday, July 17th, placed the Indonesian national team in the same group as two strong opponents: Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Despite this, the Southeast Asian representative remains determined to secure a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

What does the Indonesian press say?

According to Indonesian media, the Indonesian national team has been drawn into a very tough Group B with Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Saudi Arabia has the advantage of being the host nation, while Iraq is the team that defeated them in both matches in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The other group (Group A) consists of three teams: Qatar (host nation), UAE, and Oman.

In the fourth qualifying round (played from October 8-14), only the top team in each group will secure the remaining two direct qualification spots for the 2026 World Cup from the Asian region. Six teams have already qualified: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, and Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, the two second-placed teams will play two playoff matches on November 13 and 18; the winners will advance to the intercontinental play-off round (6 teams) to compete for the remaining two spots in March 2026.

Can the Indonesian national team make a mark in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers?

Photo: Reuters

In the fourth qualifying round, each group of three teams plays only one match, so all matches are like finals. The Indonesian team will play their first match against Saudi Arabia on October 8th, followed by a match against Iraq on October 11th.

Coach Kluivert's team needs to win both matches to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup. This is a huge challenge and also an opportunity for the Indonesian team to make history, as they possess the largest number of naturalized players in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, Indonesia hopes to finish second in the group to enter the continental and intercontinental play-offs, but the probability of qualifying is extremely low as they will face many strong teams from South America, Africa, and CONCACAF...

In the third qualifying round, the Indonesian team caused a shock by drawing 1-1 away with Saudi Arabia and winning 2-0 at home. However, against Iraq, they were at a disadvantage, having previously lost 1-5 and 0-2.

Nevertheless, the Indonesian national team under coach Kluivert has undergone many personnel changes, continuing to naturalize higher-quality stars to prepare for the fourth round of qualifiers and determined to secure a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. One of Indonesia's biggest concerns currently is their number one striker, Ole Romeny (of Dutch origin), who is injured. However, Indonesia has also just completed the naturalization of striker Mauro Zijlstra (20 years old, 1.88 m tall) to prepare and be ready to replace him if necessary.

Indonesian media and fans also wholeheartedly supported their team after the draw for the fourth qualifying round. They believed that the team from the archipelago, having previously defeated Saudi Arabia, had more experience going into the next match against Iraq, and therefore were very confident that their team would achieve their dream of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/indonesia-mo-ve-du-world-cup-2026-185250717183619072.htm