A new rule agreement between the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) will alter the landscape of the football competition at the 2026 Asian Games, effectively excluding the Indonesian national team from participation.
The AFC and OCA have moved away from the previous open-entry system for football at the Asian Games, where any nation could field a team. Previously, any country wishing to compete in the football tournament was permitted to do so.
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Beginning with the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, qualification for the football tournament will be limited to the 16 nations that advance from the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship. As Indonesia did not qualify for the U-23 Championship, they will be unable to participate in the upcoming Asian Games football competition.
“A total of 16 teams competing in the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship in Saudi Arabia will automatically participate in (the football event at the) Asian Games, while women’s football will consist of 12 teams competing in the final round of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia,” announced the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on February 9, 2026.
This new regulation dashes Indonesia’s hopes of competing in the Asian Games football tournament. Indonesia has consistently participated in the Asian Games football competition since 2014.
Since 2014, Indonesia has consistently advanced from the group stage to the knockout rounds. However, their run has always ended in the Round of 16, falling short of a semifinal appearance.
Indonesian player Ferdinand Sinaga even once led the Asian Games in scoring, netting 7 goals and becoming the top goalscorer in the 2014 Asian Games football competition.
(mro/raw)
