Rows Of Prospective Opponents Of The Indonesian National Team In The Third Round Of The 2026 World Cup Qualification

The Indonesian national team will meet tougher opponents in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification (VOI/Ferry Tri Adi).

JAKARTA - The steps for the Indonesian national team to go to the World Cup stage are getting closer as the Garuda Squad passes to the third round of qualifying. Even so, the opponents faced are also getting more difficult.

The Indonesian national team has secured a place for the third round of the 2026 Asian Zone World Cup Qualification after winning over the Philippines 2-0 at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

The three points achieved by the Garuda Squad made them finish second in the Group F standings with 10 points. In addition to qualifying for the third round, this result also ensured that the Indonesian national team qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup.

With further steps, the challenges that the Indonesian national team will face are also getting tougher. You see, they will face an increasingly strong opponent.

Regarding the opponents to be found, this certainty will only be obtained by the Garuda Squad after the draw for the third round of qualification on June 27, 2024 at the AFC office, Kuala Lumpur.

In the third round of qualifying, there will be three groups containing six teams. Champions and group runners-up are entitled to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. While teams in third and fourth place will continue to the fourth round of qualifiers.

Based on Footy Rankings' upload, Indonesia is in Pot 6 along with North Korea and Kuwait. Based on this situation, it is certain that the Indonesian national team will meet with big teams from other pots.

In Pot 1, for example, there are Japan, Iran, and South Korea. From that list, it is not impossible that Indonesia will fight one of the three teams that is arguably a World Cup subscription.

Then in Pot 2, there are a row of other giant teams, namely Australia, Qatar, and Iraq. There is a possibility that Indonesia will meet again in Iraq as in the second round of qualifying.

Meanwhile, Pot 3 residents should also be wary of because they are filled with Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Jordan.

Then, Pot 4 has the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain. Finally, Pot 5 is filled with a team that cannot be underestimated, namely China, Kyrgyzstan, and Palestine.