Kluivert’s Indonesia Drawn Against Saudi Arabia in Final Round of World Cup Qualifying

Indonesia, under the guidance of Dutch football legend Patrick Kluivert, have been handed a challenging draw in the final round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Southeast Asian nation will face hosts Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Group B of the fourth round, as they continue their bid to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1938.

The draw, which took place on Thursday at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, also placed Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman in Group A. Matches in both groups will be played in October, in a single round-robin format hosted by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The winners of each group will progress directly to the 2026 World Cup, joining the six Asian nations — Australia, Japan, Jordan, Iran, South Korea and Uzbekistan — who have already secured qualification for the expanded 48-team tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The second-placed teams in each group will meet in a two-legged play-off in November, with the winner advancing to an intercontinental play-off for a final place at the tournament.

Indonesia, who last qualified for the World Cup under Dutch colonial rule in 1938 — competing as the Dutch East Indies — have launched an ambitious programme to strengthen their squad and backroom staff. This includes the recruitment of Dutch-born players and coaches with ties to the Netherlands.

Earlier this year, Jordi Cruyff, son of iconic Dutch figure Johan Cruyff, was appointed technical adviser to the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), working closely with Kluivert in shaping the nation’s footballing ambitions.

Their challenge in Group B is considerable. Saudi Arabia, seven-time World Cup qualifiers, will enjoy home advantage and are strong favourites to top the group. Iraq, meanwhile, have featured in the tournament once before, in 1986.

In Group A, hosts Qatar — who staged the 2022 World Cup in their only appearance at the finals — are expected to dominate. UAE have qualified once, in 1990, while Oman are still chasing their first-ever appearance.

As Indonesia look to make history by qualifying for their first World Cup as an independent nation, all eyes will be on whether Kluivert’s experience and leadership can guide them through this daunting stage.