According to the draw results on the afternoon of July 17 at the AFC headquarters (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), the Indonesian team fell into Group B of the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, where they will face two very strong opponents: Iraq and host Saudi Arabia.

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Indonesia in tough group in 4th qualifying round

With the lowest FIFA ranking among the six teams participating in this round (along with Qatar, UAE, Oman, Iraq and Saudi Arabia), Indonesia was placed in pot 3, meaning they had to face stronger teams in the group stage.

However, coach Patrick Kluivert and his team still have hope because the competition format offers at least 2 opportunities to participate in the 2026 World Cup.

Specifically, the top two teams in each group (A and B) will earn direct tickets to the US, Canada and Mexico next year. The two runners-up will meet in the 5th qualifying round to determine the only Asian representative to play in the intercontinental play-off for a place.

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Southeast Asian representatives still have a chance to win tickets to the 2026 World Cup finals

The 4th qualifying round will be held centrally, in a round-robin format in October 2025 (October 8, 11 and 14). If Indonesia finishes second in the group, they will play two more matches on November 13 and 18 in the 5th qualifying round. Despite the difficulties, the opportunity is not closed for Garuda!

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/indonesia-vao-bang-tu-than-o-vong-loai-thu-4-world-cup-2026-2422870.html