Indonesia U-23 Set to Miss 2026 Asian Games After New Qualification Rule

Indonesia’s U-23 national team is facing the possibility of missing the 2026 Asian Games following a newly introduced qualification system agreed upon by the Asian Football Confederation and the Olympic Council of Asia. The update, first reported by a Singaporean media outlet, outlines a direct link between participation in the 2026 Asian Games football tournament and the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.

Under the new regulation, only teams that competed in the final round of the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia earlier this year are eligible to take part in the football event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Football Association of Singapore later confirmed that qualification for the U-23 Asian Cup serves as the primary requirement for both the men’s and women’s football tournaments at the multi-sport event.

As a result of this policy shift, Indonesia’s U-23 squad will not feature in the men’s football competition at the 2026 Asian Games. The team failed to secure a place in the final round of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, automatically ruling them out under the revised criteria. This marks a significant setback for the young Garuda side, which had initially been expected to participate.

Indonesia’s campaign in the U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers ended in disappointment last September. Competing in Group J alongside South Korea, Laos, and Macau, Indonesia hosted the qualifying matches but finished second in the standings. South Korea topped the group and claimed the only automatic qualification spot available, as only group winners from Groups A to K advanced directly to the final tournament.

In the previous edition of the Asian Games held in Hangzhou in 2022, Indonesia’s U-23 team reached the round of 16 before being eliminated by Uzbekistan after extra time. The 2026 Asian Games, scheduled from September 19 to October 4, will feature 46 countries across 42 sports. Although Indonesia had initially been projected to compete under new head coach John Herdman, the updated regulations have definitively closed the door on their participation in the men’s football event.