Indonesia's World Cup dream shattered after defeat to Iraq

Iraq midfielder Zidane Iqbal (C) takes a shot and scores the only goal in the 1-0 win over Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, at King Abdullah Stadium, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 12, 2025. Photo by IFA

The loss, combined with their previous 2-3 defeat to Saudi Arabia, leaves Indonesia without a chance to advance.

The fourth round of the qualifiers is crucial, with the top teams from two groups advancing to the 2026 World Cup, while the second-placed teams will face off for a spot in the intercontinental play-offs. With their hopes hanging by a thread, Indonesia needed a win over Iraq to keep their World Cup dream alive.

In the match at King Abdullah Stadium, coach Patrick Kluivert made several changes to the starting lineup, including replacing Yakob Sayuri with Rizky Ridho in defense and giving Marc Klok's place to Thom Haye in midfield. Despite the changes, the team struggled to break down Iraq, and the match remained tightly contested, with limited goal-scoring opportunities.

Indonesia's best chance came when Kevin Diks hit the crossbar, though it was ruled offside. The match took a turning point in the 76th minute when Iraq's Zidane Iqbal received the ball just outside the box, dribbled past two players and scored with a well-placed shot into the bottom right corner, leaving goalkeeper Maarten Paes no chance.

The goal sparked wild celebrations from the Iraq players, while Indonesia were left reeling. Coach Kluivert looked on in disappointment as his team struggled to respond.

In the remaining time and during 13 minutes of added time, Indonesia couldn't find an equalizer and bid farewell to their World Cup dream, as Iraq held on to claim the 1-0 victory.

Iraqi midfielder Zidane Iqbal (L) celebrates after scoring against Indonesia. Photo by IFA

The match also saw controversy involving Chinese referee Ma Ning, who made several questionable decisions, leading to heated exchanges from the Indonesia players.

In the 67th minute, Ma showed Zaid Tahseen a yellow card, while Indonesia players said it should have been a red, as the Iraq center-back stopped a relevant scoring chance by fouling Ole Romeny, who could have run up and faced the goalkeeper.

10 minutes later, Kevin Diks touched the ball first, causing Merchas Doski to swing his foot as far as he could to clear the ball, but it ended up hitting the opponent. But referee Ma thought Diks had committed the foul first and gave Iraq a free kick. Indonesia players reacted strongly, while coach Kluivert spread his arms out in confusion.

In a similar situation in the 86th minute, the referee gave Romeny a yellow card when he unintentionally kicked Tahseen, even though he had slowed down so that his foot did not reach full range. The situation grew more tense when Indonesian fans, angered by the referee’s decisions, began throwing objects onto the pitch. Indonesia defender Jay Idzes had to go to the stands to calm the situation.

Despite the frustration and controversy, the result meant that Indonesia’s World Cup dream was over. After the match, many members of Indonesia couldn’t hide their tears, including coach Kluivert.

Meanwhile, Iraq will face Saudi Arabia on Oct. 14, with the top spot in Group B still up for grabs. If Iraq win, they will secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup; a draw or loss will see them in a play-off for a chance at the intercontinental play-offs next year.