Indonesia's sad record

Indonesia will not participate in the 2026 World Cup, marking the absence of all four of the world's most populous nations (excluding the United States) from the planet's biggest football tournament.

Indonesia is disappointing.

With a population of over 284 million, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world , behind only India, China, and the United States. However, the Indonesian national team will not participate in the 2026 World Cup, even though the tournament has expanded to 48 teams.

Along with three other population giants – India (1.42 billion), China (1.41 billion), and Pakistan (241 million) – Indonesia once again missed out on the biggest football event on the planet, leaving millions of fans disappointed.

Indonesia entered the AFC World Cup 2026 qualifiers with high expectations. Under the guidance of coach Shin Tae-yong, the "Garuda" showed potential in the second and third qualifying rounds. Victories against Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and China, along with the brilliance of naturalized stars like Thom Haye, ignited hope among fans.

However, the dream was shattered in the fourth qualifying round. In the challenging Group B with Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Indonesia lost both matches. These heavy defeats exposed the team's weaknesses.

Indonesia's elimination from the World Cup also marks the absence of four of the world's most populous nations (excluding host nation the USA) from the 2026 World Cup.

This also reflects the trend that population size does not guarantee success for nations in football. Conversely, two smaller national teams, Cape Verde (587,000 people) and Curaçao (156,000 people), are close to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Source: https://znews.vn/ky-luc-buon-cua-tuyen-indonesia-post1593326.html