Indonesia Finalizes Warm-Up Match Before World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Indonesia’s national team has finalized plans for two friendly matches as part of their preparations for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

To ensure they are fully prepared for the challenges ahead in the Asian section of the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Indonesian team has scheduled two friendly games.

Specifically, coach Patrick Kluivert’s squad will face Taiwan and Lebanon on September 5th and 8th, respectively. Initially, Indonesia was set to play Kuwait. However, the Middle Eastern team withdrew from the friendly, prompting the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) to quickly arrange a match with Taiwan to complete their FIFA Days schedule in September.

Coach Patrick Kluivert announced a list of 27 players last week to prepare for these two friendlies. The squad largely consists of key players who participated in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, and they are expected to form the core of the team for the crucial upcoming matches that will determine their chances of participating in the major football event next summer.

In the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Indonesia has been placed in Group B alongside Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

During the third round, the Southeast Asian team faced Saudi Arabia, achieving a favorable outcome with one win and one draw. However, Iraq has won all five of their most recent encounters with Indonesia.

The fourth round will be held in a centralized format in host countries. Each group will compete in a single round-robin format, with points determining the rankings. The top two teams from each group will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The teams finishing in second place will advance to the Asian play-offs, playing two legs. The winner will represent Asia in the intercontinental play-offs, featuring six teams competing for one of the final two spots in the 2026 World Cup, scheduled for March of next year.