Dreaming Of The World Cup, Indonesian Football Basics Are Stagnant

JAKARTA The progress of the Indonesian National Team in the 2026 World Cup round is not accompanied by the development of domestic football, according to observers.

The Indonesian national team's chance to advance to a thin final round following a 2-3 defeat to Saudi Arabia in Group B match for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday (8/10/2025) early morning WIB.

Indonesia was only able to score with a penalty that was executed by center-back Kevin Diks in the 11th and 88th minutes. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia scored three goals thanks to Saleh Aboulshamat's kick in the 17th minute, and raceFeras al-Buraikan (62 and 36).

This result makes Indonesia occupy the caretaker in standings B. Jay Idzes and his friends still have one more important match left, against Iraq on Saturday (11/10).

Traveling to the World Cup finals is still Indonesia's big dream. Understandably, this country of 270 million people has never appeared on the world's biggest football stage.

The players in this country had indeed appeared in the 1938 World Cup finals, but at that time they were still named the Dutch East Indies, not Indonesia, which was just independent on August 17, 1945.

Therefore, in order to realize this big dream, the naturalized wave of players was inevitable. In the era of Shin Tae-yong, who coached the national team from December 2019 to January 2025, there were 16 players who were sworn in to become Indonesian citizens (WNI). Some of them are Marc Klok, Jordi Amat, Rafael Struick, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Calvin Verdok, and Maarten Paes.

However, the presence of diaspora players in the national team triggered the pros and cons. For those who support, this policy is believed to be able to improve the quality of the national team's game, while at the same time increasing the hope of surviving at the World Cup. But for those who are cons, diaspora players are said to be not the answer to the problems of Indonesian football.

Football observer Tommy Welly often expressed his anxiety regarding the massive naturalization program of descendants. According to him, PSSI is too focused on the achievements of the Indonesian national team, even though the federation is responsible for football as a whole, including developing potential domestic competition.

"For PSSI, who now decides on all naturalization, it is possible. Then the next question is where is the positioning of our competition," said the figure who is familiarly called Bung Towel at the Discussion on Drinking Down with the theme 'Naturalization of Players, Reducing or Motivating' at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Office of the Republic of Indonesia in 2023.

Shin Tae-yong was also mentioned as a figure who won the player naturalization program. Therefore, when for about five years the South Korean man did not win the major trophy with the Indonesian national team, the public began to get hot.

The peak was when the national team lost twice in a row, against China and Japan in the third round. This result became a hot topic, which led to two camps, namely supporters of Shin Tae-yong and a group that wanted him kicked out.

A 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia thanks to a goal scored by Marcelino Ferdinand was unable to defuse the pros and cons of STY. Until finally he was fired and PSSI appointed Patrick Kluivert as his successor.

However, the presence of Kluivert and 16 naturalized players from 23 players on the line-up did not necessarily make Indonesia show off on the field. Recently, giving up 2-3 from Saudi Arabia, as well as being evidence that the Garuda Squad still had to fight hard to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.

Football observer Anton Sanjoyo saw Indonesia's move to penetrate the fourth round of the 2025 World Cup was a progress during this event. According to him, this achievement was one step better than the work of the Indonesian national team which also almost went to the 1986 World Cup.

At that time, Indonesia had only four matches to qualify for Mexico, namely winning home games against South Korea and Japan.

"So if you say the fourth round is more advanced I agree, even though the qualifying system is different," this man who is familiarly called Bung Joy.

Even so, the progress of the Indonesian national team in the 2026 World Cup round was not accompanied by the development of football in the country, such as fostering the younger generation and improving the quality of domestic league competition.

"Imagine that of the 28 national team players who were called, 90 percent were diaspora. Are we not ashamed as a nation?" he said.

He emphasized that the legality of diaspora players is not a problem, but rather a matter of independence.

"So in terms of the World Cup round, the team is now making progress from 1986. But the basis of Indonesian football does not move, that's all," said Joy.

"Even at the club level, Indonesian clubs in the tier-2 of the Asian Champions League, not at the elite level, and the development of the younger generation is also weak. This has happened for decades," he added.