Indonesia attracts attention from Dutch media during World Cup qualifiers

Dutch media are focusing particularly on Indonesia’s team in the 2026 World Cup qualifying rounds, with Patrick Kluivert’s players gearing up for challenging games against Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Patrick Kluivert’s journey with the Indonesian national team in their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup has become a focal point for Dutch media, the homeland of the coach.

The national broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) published a prominent article titled about the “do-or-die battle” facing Kluivert’s team. According to NOS, Indonesia is entering a critical phase in the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, where they must face strong opponents Saudi Arabia and Iraq to compete for the top spot.

“Indonesia must compete with Iraq and Saudi Arabia for one of those valuable spots. This week could be a turning point for Kluivert and his team,” commented NOS.

According to the schedule, Jay Idzes and his teammates will face Saudi Arabia on the evening of October 8 (local time), which corresponds to early morning October 9 in Vietnam, before meeting Iraq three days later in the final group match. These two games are seen as “crucial” for Kluivert’s squad in their quest to realize their World Cup dream.

At the same time, the leading Dutch sports daily De Telegraaf also published a lengthy article titled “Indonesia opens a new chapter”which analyzes in detail Kluivert’s journey since taking charge of the archipelago’s team. The newspaper notes that Kluivert is bringing a “fresh breath” to Indonesian football, blending European tactical thinking with the fiery fighting spirit typical of Southeast Asia.

De Telegraaf also compared Kluivert to fellow Dutch coaches Dick Advocaat (leading Curacao) and Stanley Menzo (Suriname), who are also guiding smaller national teams on their path to the 2026 World Cup.

Currently, the Indonesian team is training in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, preparing for their crucial opening match. Except for goalkeeper Emil Audero, who is sidelined due to injury, the entire squad is ready for the biggest challenge since Kluivert took over.

Dutch media assess that despite facing Asia’s football giants, Indonesia under Kluivert presents itself as a youthful, united, and ambitious team, ready to write a new chapter for Southeast Asian football on the global stage.