4 Indonesian National Team Stars Ready to Trouble Saudi Arabia in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

Liputan6.com, Jakarta – The Indonesian national team is ready to begin their journey in Group C of the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone by facing host Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Friday (6/9/2024) early morning WIB.

Statistically, Saudi Arabia has a significant advantage over Indonesia. Looking at the latest FIFA rankings as of July 18, 2024, Saudi Arabia is ranked 56th with 1431.3 points, while the Indonesian National Team is ranked 133rd with 1108.73 points.

“Of course, we are targeting good results. We will try our best, but I am not God, so I cannot predict the results,” said the Indonesian national team coach, Shin Tae-yong.

“However, remember that the ball is round. Anything can happen, and no one can predict the situation on the field. We will fight as hard as we can,” he added.

Historically, Saudi Arabia has successfully qualified for the World Cup six times, namely in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, and 2022. Meanwhile, the Indonesian National Team has only participated once in 1938 under the name Dutch East Indies.

Despite facing a big challenge, Indonesia still has the opportunity to provide a surprise when playing against the Saudi Arabian National Team. Which players from the team nicknamed Garuda can stand out and surprise the host?