Qatar Awaits Indonesian Supporters' Enthusiasm at the 2025 U-17 World Cup

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The participation of the U-17 Indonesian team in the U-17 World Cup 2025 has been met with enthusiasm by Qatar as the host. Not only will the "Garuda Muda" squad compete on the green field, but supporters and the Indonesian diaspora will also be involved in various cultural activities during the FIFA youth tournament.

The CEO of the Local Organizing Committee for the Qatar 2025 Football Tournament, Jassim Al Jassim, considers the Indonesian citizens and diaspora to be the most enthusiastic supporters in several football tournaments in Qatar, such as the 2023 Asian Cup and the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup. Jassim stated that they are ready to welcome and provide the best services for Indonesian team supporters during the U-17 World Cup 2025.

"I honestly think Indonesia has the fastest-developing team from a technical perspective. That pride in football was evident in the fans we witnessed at the last tournament (the U-23 Asian Cup) in Qatar," Jassim said in an exclusive virtual interview with Kompas on Wednesday (October 22, 2025).

"Of course, it is not surprising that many supporters from Indonesia will come, both from Indonesia and several countries in the Middle East. We are ready to support and assist Indonesian supporters if the federation needs it," he added.

Referring to the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup when the Indonesian team reached the third-place playoff, Marselino Ferdinan and his teammates consistently delivered matches with sold-out tickets, especially in the knockout phase. An average of 7,235 supporters attended each of the six matches of the Garuda Muda squad.

The quantity of spectators for the Indonesia match was nearly double the average number of supporters per game in the tournament. The figure stands at 4,267 spectators per match.

The Indonesian U-17 team is placed in Group H of the 2025 U-17 World Cup. The squad coached by Nova Arianto will begin their campaign in Qatar by facing the African representatives, Zambia, on November 4, 2025.

Next, Indonesia will compete against the holders of four U-17 World Cup titles, Brazil, on November 7, 2025. Honduras is Indonesia's final opponent in the group stage, which will take place on November 10, 2025.

The 2025 edition marks Indonesia's second participation in the U-17 World Cup. Indonesia made its debut in this global event during the U-17 World Cup 2023. At that time, Garuda Muda participated as the host nation.

Under the leadership of Indonesian national team legend, Bima Sakti, the Garuda Muda team was eliminated in the Group A qualifying round. Indonesia only collected two points from three matches, thus being eliminated due to a lower points tally compared to Morocco (6 points) and Ecuador (5).

Contacted separately, Vidi Viciyandrie, Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association in Qatar (IFQ), revealed that the IFQ had been invited by the Local Organizing Committee for the 2025 U-17 World Cup to participate in a number of community activities leading up to and during the tournament. Vidi said the Indonesian community would be involved in enlivening the fan zone, among other activities.

"At the end of October, the Indonesian diaspora will hold a fun football event to welcome the 2025 U-17 World Cup," said Vidi.

Furthermore, Vidi stated that IFQ, through the Garuda Qatar group, has also received approval from the Local Organizing Committee for the U-17 World Cup 2025 for the allocation of tickets for Indonesia's matches.

"However, we have not yet received confirmation on the exact number of tickets that have been approved. We are also still waiting for permission to bring in the attributes (banners and drums) to the match location," said Vidi.

The 2025 U-17 World Cup will mark the beginning of a new tournament format featuring 48 participants. This number of participants has doubled compared to the previous edition, which had 24 teams.

For the first time, a FIFA tournament involving multiple countries will be held in a centralized location. Qatar is concentrating all matches and activities of the 2025 U-17 World Cup tournament in the Aspire Zone, Al Rayyan city.

The sports academy complex is similar to the Gelora Bung Karno area in Jakarta. Not only football, but the Aspire Zone is also equipped with other world-class sports facilities, such as athletics and aquatics. The Khalifa International Stadium serves as both an icon and the central point of the Aspire Zone.

Starting from the 2025 to 2029 editions, all matches of the U-17 World Cup will be held at eight fields owned by the Aspire Zone. In total, the zone has 10 world-class fields. Specifically for the final match, it will take place at the Khalifa International Stadium.

"Organizing a tournament is not easy. We have to manage excellent services and experiences for teams, guests, spectators, and the media in one area and at the same time. We are very excited to provide a profound impression for every individual coming to Qatar for the U-17 World Cup 2025," said Jassim.

In the preliminary round, there are eight matches per day. This, Jassim added, allows every spectator to easily watch the matches of future world football stars without the need to move from one place to another.

"The players will experience competing in our best infrastructure, which is a legacy of the 2022 World Cup. This event will also serve as an example for other countries to host football tournaments with a similar concept," said Jassim.