Indonesia plays a friendly match against the FIFA-ranked 88th team ahead of the AFF Cup

The Indonesian national team is set to compete in a friendly against a quality European side prior to the 2024 AFF Cup

According to sources from the website Fakti.bg, the Bulgarian national team has confirmed its participation in the friendly tournament FIFA Series 2026 scheduled for March next year in Indonesia. With this news, two national teams have now confirmed their presence alongside Indonesia in this event, the other being Saint Kitts and Nevis from North America.

The FIFA Series is a new competition for national teams, created by FIFA to promote balanced development of football worldwide, especially providing opportunities and experience for teams outside the top tier.

The inaugural FIFA Series took place in 2024, featuring numerous friendly matches among teams from various continents, held simultaneously in countries such as Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka... The tournament included 24 teams, and FIFA aims to expand its scale in future editions.

For Indonesia, facing a team ranked 88th by FIFA and highly regarded like Bulgaria is seen as a valuable chance for Southeast Asia’s representative to gain experience, especially as the AFF Cup is set to begin next summer. Additionally, it offers new head coach John Herdman an opportunity to showcase his coaching skills against a European team, where the English strategist has many years of experience.

Historically, Indonesia’s national team has had a poor record against European sides. The archipelago team drew 0-0 in 1959, then suffered a 0-4 defeat in 1973, both in friendly matches.

Indonesia endured a disappointing 2025 with a series of unimpressive results. After being eliminated in the group stage of the 2024 AFF Cup, Garuda advanced to the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, under coach Patrick Kluivert, Indonesia lost twice to Saudi Arabia and Iraq, ending their dream of reaching football’s most prestigious tournament.

With the arrival of new coach John Herdman, Indonesian fans hope the national team will improve in 2026, and that conquering the AFF Cup could be the first step toward reasserting their position in Southeast Asia alongside Thailand and Vietnam.