Saudi Arabia defeats Indonesia, putting Indonesia at high risk of missing the World Cup

(Football result) - Indonesia was defeated by Saudi Arabia with a score of 2-3 in the first match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying round 4.

From the start, the match heated up. In the 10th minute, after consulting VAR, the referee awarded Indonesia a penalty. Kevin Diks (Indonesia) did not miss the chance, firing an unstoppable shot into the low left corner to open the scoring at the 11th minute.

However, Saudi Arabia quickly equalized. In the 17th minute, Saleh Abu Al Shamat weaved through Indonesian players and unleashed a beautiful shot from the edge of the box into the low left corner, leveling the score at 1-1.

In the 34th minute, the drama continued when, after reviewing VAR, the referee awarded a penalty to Saudi Arabia. Firas Al Buraikan took a precise shot, and despite goalkeeper Maarten Paes touching the ball, Saudi Arabia took the lead 2-1 at the 36th minute.

In the second half, Saudi Arabia extended their lead at the 62nd minute. The ball rebounded to Firas Al Buraikan, who easily finished from close range, making it 3-1 and completing his brace.

Another crucial VAR moment occurred at the 88th minute. After reviewing a handball in the penalty area, the referee awarded Indonesia a second penalty. Kevin Diks once again successfully converted the shot into the left corner, narrowing the score to 2-3 and completing his own brace.

The final minutes were intense. At 90+3 minutes, Mohamed Kanno (Saudi Arabia) received a second yellow card for vehemently arguing with the referee and was sent off. Despite 11 minutes of added time, Indonesia could not capitalize on the numerical advantage. The match ended with a narrow 3-2 victory for Saudi Arabia.