Ivar Jenner gagal bela Timnas Indonesia U-23 di Asian Games 2026. (Foto: Instagram/@ivar.jnr)

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The Indonesia U-23 national team will not participate in the Asian Games 2026, set to take place in Hiroshima, Japan from September 19th to October 4th, 2026. The decision isn’t due to any action – or inaction – from the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports or the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), but rather a new policy jointly enacted by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
According to a report from The Asean Football, the AFC and OCA have agreed to limit participation in the men’s soccer tournament at the Asian Games 2026 to just 16 nations. Those 16 teams will be comprised of countries that qualified for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
Indonesia U-23 Fails to Qualify for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
With the Indonesia U-23 team failing to secure a spot in the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, their participation in the Asian Games 2026 is now impossible. The squad fell short in qualifying after being edged out by South Korea U-23 in a crucial match held in Jakarta in July 2025.
The 16 teams set to compete at the Asian Games 2026 are Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Iraq, Qatar, Iran, South Korea, Syria, China, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates.
Japan emerged victorious at the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, which ran from January 6th to 24th, 2026, defeating China 4-0 in the final. Notably, the average age of the Japanese squad throughout the tournament was just 20.1 years.
John Herdman’s Plans for 2026 Shift
Recently appointed as head coach of the Indonesian national team, John Herdman was tasked with leading both the senior and U-23 squads. With the Indonesia U-23 team now absent from the Asian Games 2026 schedule, the young Garuda squad will not have any competitive matches this year.
