John Herdman Targets Indonesia National Team to Qualify for 2030 World Cup

JAKARTA - Indonesian National Team coach John Herdman confirmed that qualifying for the 2030 World Cup is the main mission that is being built together with the Garuda Squad.

"You mentioned the World Cup Qualifiers. That's the mission. Our goal is, we have 280 million reasons why we wake up every day to do what we do."

"These guys are very clear that we want to be the first men's team to qualify (World Cup) for this country and be in that special group, and have a moment with every child, grandparent, mother, father, in this country," Herdman said at a press conference after the FIFA Series 2026 match against Saint Kitts and Nevis on Friday, March 27, 2026.

He emphasized that the entire process that the team is currently undergoing is directed towards this goal. According to him, the big win over Saint Kitts and Nevis with a score of 4-0 is only a small part of a long journey.

"This is a small step. We set the mentality. When we target to win 4-0 with a clean sheet, we finish it. Not 3-0 or 2-0, but we are committed to achieving the target," he said.

On the other hand, the English coach also reminded that the journey to the World Cup would not be smooth. He emphasized the importance of public support in the midst of the team's performance dynamics.

"So, I hope the fans can be with us because there will be ups and downs. I learned it in Canada (the national team) over a period of more than five years. It has never been a straight line."

"You have to suffer, you have to enjoy it, together, but I guarantee you, in the span of four years we will be there. We will qualify with this team," said the figure who led Canada to the 2022 World Cup.

In the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, the Indonesian National Team's steps stopped in the Fourth Round of the Asian Zone Qualifiers. The Garuda team suffered a 0-1 defeat from Iraq and lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia.

However, this achievement is a historical engraving for the Indonesian National Team which in their previous World Cup Qualification performances were more often eliminated in the First Round or Second Round.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian National Team still has one more match in the 2026 FIFA Series, namely against Bulgaria in the final match at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Monday, March 30, 2026.