Indonesia's national team will be the first country to win the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.

Indonesian experts are expressing high optimism regarding the potential of their national team to create history at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 - a competition anticipated to be the first organized directly by FIFA for Southeast Asia.

In a post on his personal channel, the renowned commentator Ronny Pangemanan (Bung Ropan) asserted that Indonesia holds a significant opportunity to claim the title in the inaugural edition of the tournament. According to him, the greatest strength of the archipelago nation's team lies in its naturalized players who are currently competing in Europe.

"Indonesia's national team will undoubtedly be strengthened by international players, including those from several European countries. Major names such as Jay Idzes, Kevin Diks, Calvin Verdonk, Ole Romeny, Ragnar Oratmangoen, and Emil Audero will return to the starting lineup.

If our players reach their peak form, Indonesia will be the first nation to secure the championship of the FIFA ASEAN Cup," the publication Bola quoted Pangemanan.

According to Ronny Pangemanan, Indonesia currently possesses several high-quality players like Jay Idzes, Kevin Diks, Calvin Verdonk, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Ole Romeny, and goalkeeper Emil Audero. These are all players active in Europe who have already made a notable impact while representing the national team in recent times.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place in September and October, aligning with FIFA Days, thereby allowing national teams to call up their strongest squads. The number of participating teams may range from 11 to 12, including the potential participation of Australia to enhance the tournament's competitiveness.

Discussions regarding the competition format will be conducted in Vancouver soon, with the attendance of numerous football officials, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the President of the Indonesian Football Association Erick Thohir.

Although the tournament is still in the process of being finalized, given the team's mature squad and substantial investment, Indonesian experts believe the "Garuda" squad will be one of the top contenders for the championship.