Indonesia's Fixture for the World Cup Qualifiers Starts with Saudi Arabia, Australia
Jakarta. The Indonesian national football team is set to begin its campaign in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, where they will face Saudi Arabia and Australia.
Under the guidance of coach Shin Tae-yong, the Garuda Squad will first face Saudi Arabia at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday, Sept. 5, or early Friday at 1:00 a.m. Jakarta time. The team will then return home to play against Australia at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Indonesia is placed in Group C alongside Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, Bahrain, and China. Among these teams, only Indonesia and Bahrain have yet to appear in the World Cup finals. The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
In a positive development ahead of the qualifiers, Dallas FC goalkeeper Maarten Paes has been cleared to play for the Indonesian national team. Paes received official approval from FIFA following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Paes had pledged his allegiance to Indonesia in late May but was initially deemed ineligible by FIFA due to his previous appearance for the Netherlands U-21 team at the age of 22. FIFA rules stipulate that players who have competed for a national team at a competitive level above the age of 21 cannot switch national teams.
Following the CAS ruling on Thursday, Aug. 15, Paes, now 26, is eligible to represent Indonesia in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, starting on Sept. 5.
Indonesia advanced to the third round of the Asian qualifiers after finishing as the runner-up in Group F, behind Iraq. Vietnam and the Philippines were eliminated from the group.
After hosting Australia, Indonesia will play four more home matches: against Japan on Nov. 14, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 19, Bahrain on March 25, 2025, and China on June 5, 2025.
The top two teams from the third round will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The third and fourth-placed teams will compete in the next round for the remaining qualification spots.
Here is the schedule for the third round of Group C in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers:
September 5, 2024
- Japan vs China at Saitama Stadium, Saitama
- Australia vs Bahrain at Robina Stadium, Gold Coast
- Saudi Arabia vs Indonesia at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah
September 10, 2024
- Bahrain vs Japan at Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
- China vs Saudi Arabia at Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium, Dalian
- Indonesia vs Australia at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
October 10, 2024
- Australia vs China at Adelaide Oval Stadium, Adelaide
- Saudi Arabia vs Japan (venue TBD)
- Bahrain vs Indonesia at Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
October 15, 2024
- Japan vs Australia at Saitama Stadium, Saitama
- Saudi Arabia vs Bahrain (venue TBD)
- China vs Indonesia at Qingdao Youth Football Stadium, Qingdao
November 14, 2024
- Australia vs Saudi Arabia (venue TBD)
- Bahrain vs China at Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
- Indonesia vs Japan at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
November 19, 2024
- Bahrain vs Australia at Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
- China vs Japan (venue TBD)
- Indonesia vs Saudi Arabia at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
March 20, 2025
- Japan vs Bahrain (venue TBD)
- Australia vs Indonesia (venue TBD)
- Saudi Arabia vs China (venue TBD)
March 25, 2025
- Japan vs Saudi Arabia (venue TBD)
- China vs Australia (venue TBD)
- Indonesia vs Bahrain (venue TBD)
June 5, 2025
- Australia vs Japan (venue TBD)
- Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia at Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
- Indonesia vs China (venue TBD)
June 10, 2025
- Japan vs Indonesia (venue TBD)
- Saudi Arabia vs Australia (venue TBD)
- China vs Bahrain (venue TBD)
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