Indonesia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia Ready Friendlies Ahead of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

3 weeks ago 13

August 5, 2025 | 04:14 pm

Indonesia's Ole Romeny celebrates after scoring against China during the Group C third-round match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Senayan, Jakarta, on June 5, 2025. Indonesia defeated China 1-0 through Romeny's goal. Tempo/M. Taufan Rengganis

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian national team will face Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Group B of the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone. Several matches are scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia from October 8-14.

Three teams such as Indonesia, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, tried to make the most of the FIFA Match Day period in September 2025 by playing friendly matches.

The Indonesian national team chose to hold friendly matches at home in Gelora Bung Tomo, Surabaya in September. During that period, the Garuda squad will face Kuwait and Lebanon.

The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) held the matches in Surabaya to give the fans of the Indonesian national team in East Java a closer opportunity to witness the actions of Jay Idzes and his friends directly.

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia, acting as the host, chose to conduct a training camp in the Czech Republic. The team, known as The Green Falcons under the guidance of Herve Renard, has scheduled a friendly match against the Czech Republic national team in Hradec Kralove on September 8.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi national team has been confirmed to participate in the 2025 King's Cup tournament held in Thailand on September 4-7, 2025. In the event, the Lions of Mesopotamia led by Graham Arnold will face Hong Kong on September 4, 2025. Three days later, Iraq will play against the winner of the match between Thailand and Fiji.

Six teams in the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone will compete for two direct tickets to the final round, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Group A is composed of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

The winners of groups A and B will secure the direct qualification. The runners-up of each group will face each other, and the winner will continue the fight in the intercontinental play-off round to compete for the remaining ticket.

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