Failure to Qualify for the 2026 World Cup Marks a Turning Point for the Indonesian National Team

Failing to meet the target of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup should not be the end of the journey for the Indonesian national football team. This failure should serve as a reflection that short-term programs are not sufficient to reach the world stage.

Even if they qualify for the 2026 World Cup, that pride does not truly belong to all the children of the Indonesian nation. There are coaches in muddy fields, in villages, and in small football schools, who do not experience the euphoria of the "Garuda" team breaking through to the World Cup.

The Indonesian national team is no longer welcoming to local talents who begin their dreams and pursue careers on the green field from the womb of the motherland. Local talents—regardless of their quality—have been sidelined. The chance to wear the "Garuda" team jersey is increasingly diminishing.

For 731 days or two years, the national team's adventure in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup reflects this. The "Garuda" squad began their struggle from the first round by facing their neighboring compatriots, Brunei Darussalam.

With the support of three naturalized players and 20 domestically trained players, Indonesia, under the guidance of Shin Tae-yong, achieved a decisive aggregate victory of 12-0. In the final match of the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the situation was quite the opposite. There were only five players trained by local academies. The team coached by Patrick Kluivert consisted of 18 players who needed to change their passports to represent the Indonesian national team.

There's no need to criticize the presence of naturalized players. FIFA has even opened the door for diaspora players to represent their ancestral countries.

However, in the case of Indonesia, the naturalization policy has led the federation, the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), to appear to be biased against local talents. Efforts by several players to pursue careers abroad have also not received a warm welcome.

Kluivert prioritized diaspora players playing in the BRI Super League over local players playing for foreign teams. Persib Bandung midfielder Beckham Putra was the only local player to break the cap during Kluivert's 12-month reign.

In addition, other football stakeholders, I-League as the competition operator, are increasingly closing opportunities for local children to participate in the highest level competition. Each club is allowed to field seven foreign players per match. This means that only four local players can play in a single match of the Indonesian Super League.

Policies that marginalize local players seem to be a "response" to the shattered dream of Indonesia qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The Indonesian national team is increasingly developing, yet the majority of local players do not receive equal opportunities to represent their homeland's prestigious jersey.

"Our struggle does not stop here (pre-2026 World Cup). This team will work harder to perform better in the next tournament," said Jay Idzes, the center-back and captain of the national team.

With the cessation of matches leading to the highest stage since the international match agenda in November 2025, the coaching staff of the Indonesian national team and PSSI should open their arms to increase the playing time of local players.

Indonesia will have the opportunity to play a maximum of 12 matches during the international break from November 2025 to November 2026. These exhibition matches are preparations before competing in the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled for January-February 2027.

The match could be very beneficial for Indonesia to improve its ranking in the FIFA rankings. This is in order to secure a better position in the draw for the 2030 World Cup qualifiers.

The 2030 World Cup pre-season for the Asian zone will begin in the international match period of September-October 2027.

The friendly match should be utilized to prepare the regeneration of the Indonesian squad, particularly to develop new midfielders to fill the roles of Joey Pelupessy and Thom Haye, who are both over 30 years old.

It would be wise for the coaching staff of Indonesia to dare to provide opportunities to local players who have proven themselves in domestic competitions. The options include Arkhan Fikri, Rayhan Hannan, and Zanadin Fariz. There are also potential talents from the Indonesian U-17 team, such as Evandra Florasta and Nazriel Alfaro.

This condition is to accelerate the quality of local players, so that they can catch up with the quality of naturalized players.

According to former Indonesian national team striker, Dede Sulaeman, equal opportunities for local players to represent the national team must be prioritized. He stated that playing for the national team is the greatest achievement and the most prideful moment for every child in Indonesia.

"Local players should not feel that their hard work is in vain due to the prioritization of naturalized players in the national team. Local players remain a key element for the development of Indonesian football," said Dede, who regularly represented the national team from 1975 to 1985.

Bob Hippy, a legend of the national team from the 1950s and a former official of PSSI, hopes that the failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup will serve as a momentum for PSSI to improve the foundations of development. For Bob, the main root of a country being able to regularly qualify for the World Cup is the strength of its developmental foundation, ensuring that players are prepared from childhood through to their senior years.