Missing the World Cup, Indonesia receives more bad news from FIFA

The Indonesian national team lost points and dropped in the FIFA rankings after their defeat to Saudi Arabia in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Despite high expectations, the team Indonesia failed to cause an upset in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup fourth qualifying round. Although they took an early lead against Saudi Arabia, Indonesia’s defense could not hold up under the opponent’s attacking pressure, resulting in a final 2-3loss.

This defeat dealt a heavy blow to Indonesia’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Not only that, the Indonesian team also received disappointing news as they lost points in the FIFA rankings and will drop at least one position to 120th in the world.

Before the match, Indonesia was ranked 119th globally with a total of 1,157.94 points. Due to the loss against Saudi Arabia, Indonesia officially lost 6.88 points. The Southeast Asian representative now has an estimated total of 1,151.06 points.

In fact, there was significant potential to gain more points if Indonesia had achieved a positive result. A win could have earned them 18 additional points. Even a draw against a strong team like Saudi Arabia would have granted them 5.82 points. Unfortunately, the final outcome did not favor coach Patrick Kluivert’s team.

With 1,151.06 points, Indonesia’s position in the FIFA rankings is now under threat. The archipelago team will temporarily drop at least one spot to 120th place. For comparison, Togo, ranked 120th, currently has 1,151.08 points, slightly higher than Indonesia’s score.

The competition between ranks 110 and 125 is extremely fierce. Even the smallest change in points can significantly affect each country’s ranking. Indonesia’s FIFA ranking could decline further as national teams close to their point range prepare to play matches during the October FIFA international window.

Although recently defeated, Indonesia’s fight is not over yet. "Garuda" still has one match left against Iraq, offering a golden chance to bounce back and improve their FIFA ranking. A victory is crucial to keeping their hopes alive for qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals.