The Indonesian U-23 national football team will not participate in the 2026 Asian Games, according to statements from PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir and the Minister of Youth and Sports. Official reports from multiple Indonesian outlets cite strict tournament regulations as the reason for the team’s absence from the multi-sport event.
Why is Indonesia skipping the 2026 Asian Games?
The decision to withdraw the team stems from “strict regulations” (regulasi ketat), according to reports from Media Indonesia and ANTARA News. While the specific technical details of these regulations were not outlined, the PSSI (Football Association of Indonesia) has confirmed that the U-23 squad cannot compete under the current requirements.
Who confirmed the team’s absence?
PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir explicitly stated that the U-23 national team would be absent from the 2026 edition of the games, according to Kompas.com. This confirmation was corroborated by the Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora), who verified that Indonesian football would not be represented at the event, as reported by ANTARA News.
The announcement was widely disseminated across Indonesian media, including detiksport and pdiperjuanganbali.id, all confirming that the national team’s participation is officially off the table for the 2026 cycle.
