PSSI Is Optimistic the Indonesian National Team Will Win the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, Here Are the Reasons.

PSSI has set an ambitious target for the Indonesian National Team at the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. The Garuda squad is expected to lift the trophy at the tournament which will be hosted in Indonesia from 24 September to 4 October this coming year.

PSSI Secretary General Yunus Nusi confirmed that winning the championship stands as Indonesia's primary target. This optimism arises as the FIFA ASEAN Cup is listed on the official FIFA international calendar, meaning players contracted overseas will be eligible to represent the Garuda squad.

"Yes, naturally we are aiming to become champions," Yunus stated when met following the 2026 Annual and Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (RUPS) held in Jakarta.

According to Yunus, the tournament's status as an official FIFA fixture gives Indonesia a distinct advantage. Players competing in foreign leagues, including Jay Idzes and Kevin Diks, will be permitted to join the Indonesian National Team.

"Given that almost all these players will be available, we very much hope this squad can deliver outstanding performances," he added.

Indonesia Has The Opportunity To Field Its Full Strength Squad

The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup provides Indonesia the chance to field a complete, full roster. Unlike tournaments held outside the official FIFA calendar, clubs are legally obligated to release their players for national team duty for FIFA sanctioned events.

Indonesia has been drawn in Main Division Group A alongside Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh, who replaced India in the final tournament lineup.

Meanwhile, Group B consists of Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines.

With this draw structure, the path to the championship is predicted to be far from straightforward. Vietnam and Thailand remain the two dominant powers in Southeast Asian football, while Indonesia also shares a long, heated historic rivalry with Malaysia.

GBK and Si Jalak Harupat Confirmed As Host Venues

As tournament hosts, Indonesia has prepared two official stadiums for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup.

Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium in Jakarta and Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung will host all tournament matches.

Host status brings additional advantage for Garuda, most notably the full home support from Indonesian supporters.

PSSI expects that the atmosphere of playing in front of a home crowd will drive the squad to perform at peak level right from the opening group stage fixtures.

Yunus expressed hope that this home advantage will ultimately end with the national team lifting the championship trophy.

PSSI Aims For FIFA ASEAN Cup To Provide Redemption

This title target also follows the deep disappointment of Indonesia once again failing to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2026 AFF Cup.

This marks consecutive early exits at the regional tournament, after Garuda was also eliminated before the semi-final round in the 2024 edition under former head coach Shin Tae-yong.

For this reason, success at the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is viewed as both a revival momentum and much needed redemption for Indonesian football.

PSSI has instructed John Herdman to implement immediate improvements following the disappointing AFF Cup result. Thorough, advanced preparations are considered critical, as the stated target is not merely to progress out of the group stage, but to claim the full championship title.

"The Chairman has already communicated directly with the head coach. Moving forward, the coach will place special priority on preparations for the FIFA ASEAN Cup, to build the squad to the best possible standard. We all hope that during this tournament the national team will give everything they have for Indonesian football," Yunus stated.

Now the task falls to Herdman and the playing squad to convert this public optimism into on-pitch results, from the first group match right through to the tournament final.