Prabowo urges PSSI to reform league for World Cup bid

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto urged Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) Chairman Erick Thohir to improve the country's domestic soccer competition to build a stronger national team capable of qualifying for a future FIFA World Cup.

The directive was delivered during a meeting with Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir and Indonesia national team head coach John Herdman at the Garuda Yaksa Hermitage in Hambalang, Bogor, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said on Friday, citing the Bureau of Press, Media, and Information of the Presidential Secretariat.

Prabowo called for a stronger and more competitive domestic league capable of consistently producing high-quality players and building a resilient national squad.

"In his role as chairman of the Football Association of Indonesia, he is expected to improve our domestic competition and produce a strong national team capable of realizing Indonesians' dream of qualifying for the World Cup," Prasetyo said.

The meeting took place as the 2026 FIFA World Cup entered its second week, underscoring the Indonesian government's continued focus on improving the country's soccer performance on the global stage.

Prasetyo said the government had hoped Indonesia would qualify for this year's tournament but acknowledged that the national team fell short of securing a place.

"As we all know, the four-year World Cup tournament has been underway for more than a week. We genuinely hoped our national team would qualify this year, but for now, that has not happened," he said.

He said Indonesia must begin preparing earlier and strengthen the national team's internal development to improve its chances in future international competitions.

The government also expects Indonesia to use upcoming international events, including the 2027 FIFA Series, as part of its long-term effort to compete at the highest level and secure the country's first-ever FIFA World Cup qualification.

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Translator: Aditya Ramadhan, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak

Editor: Primayanti

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