After being the "kings" of futsal in Southeast Asia for the past two years, now is the time for the Garuda team to triumph on the Asian stage. This momentum comes after the Indonesian national futsal team made history at the 2026 Futsal Asia Cup, becoming a debutant team that will compete in the semifinals.
In their 11 appearances at the Asian Futsal Cup, Indonesia has only advanced beyond the group stage twice. The first occurred in 2022 in Kuwait, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, and the second occurred this year, when they reached the semi-finals.
Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian representative in the semifinals of the 2026 Asian Futsal Cup. Vietnam, who had reached the semifinals in the 2016 edition, was defeated by Indonesia.
2022 finalists Thailand were unable to follow in Indonesia's footsteps, having been thrashed 4-2 by Iraq in the quarterfinals, while Malaysia was eliminated early after finishing bottom of Group D.
This historic moment, coming after winning gold at the 2025 SEA Games, also confirms that Indonesian futsal has been developing on the right track in recent years, especially under the leadership of coach Hector Souto.
At the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta on Tuesday, history was made when Indonesia defeated Vietnam 3-2 in front of 8,000 fans. This victory avenged Indonesia's 0-1 loss to Vietnam at the 2025 SEA Games.
Souto was indeed dissatisfied and saddened by his team's performance. However, the result was a victory worth celebrating, as it's not easy to win when a team isn't performing at its best.
There was no smile on Souto's face when he met the media crew in the mixed zone of the Indonesia Arena, Tuesday, after the match.
"I can't (smile), I'm not happy (with the team's performance)," said the Spanish coach.
