In recent years, soccer in Indonesia has grown rapidly, as evidenced by the hosting of the 2023 U20 Men's Football World Cup. After the AFC disqualified China from hosting the 2023 Asian Cup, the Indonesian Football Association (IFA) acted quickly to submit a bid to host the Asian Cup. In the process, the South Korean and Qatari football associations also jumped into the fray.
In June, Indonesia's men's soccer team successfully passed through the Asian Cup qualifying rounds, gaining a valuable opportunity to advance to the final round. At the same time, Indonesia U16 team won the Southeast Asia U16 Championship by defeating Vietnam U16 team, while Indonesia U19 team pushed Vietnam U19 team under pressure to enter the final round of the U20 Asian Cup as the top of the group. Indonesian soccer has achieved a three-front war with both teams reaching the final round of the Asian Cup.
In the face of the rise of Indonesian soccer, the Chinese men's soccer team had to re-examine the Southeast Asian rivals. Now, the Vietnamese men's soccer team is no longer a soft target in the eyes of the national soccer team, and the strength of the Indonesian men's soccer team is also not to be underestimated. It seems that the national soccer team has ushered in another strong opponent.
