Timnas Acceleration Indonesia By Naturalization Rescues · Global Voices

Timnas Indonesia was able to break the winner's fast for 35 years by raising the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup champion trophy. It didn't go away from Timnas' quality acceleration through naturalization.

When Emil Audero managed to block the penalty kick of Nattabong Sayriya, that's where the Indonesian players cried out to celebrate the excitement. Tens of thousands of people in the stadium cheering for happiness. And tens of millions of people throughout Indonesia are dissolved in a winning euphoria.

Indonesia has taken the 2026 FIFA champion trophy. This is the first trophy of Timnas Indonesia at the senior level since Timnas Indonesia won the 1991 gold Sea Games.

In the tenure of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakaking, the naturalization process is one of the things that goes on as part of an effort to improve the quality of Timnas Indonesia. For short-term targets, searching for Indonesian-blooded players to then regulate is what PSSI assesses under Erick Thir's leadership, as Chairman of General PSSI, can be done to improve the quality of the Garuda Squad.

Therefore, in the last two years, names like Kevin Dibs, Ole Romeny, Dean James, Emil Audero, have officially taken an oath as Indonesian citizen. There's also Luke Vickery, Mitchell Baker, Tim Geypens, Miliano Jonathans, and Dion Markx who took an oath as Indonesian citizen.

This naturalization is based on FIFA regulations based on family genealogy. The limit, to the grandparents who had Indonesian blood or met the terms related to the birthplace.

A quick process of naturalization of players is not out of government support. The Ministry of Law checked and verified administrative documents, the People's Representatives' Council gave consideration and approval, until finally the President of the Republic of Indonesia passed on citizenship through the President's decision.

After that, the Ministry will have taken the oath and Dukcapil and Immigration providing documents of identity as WNI like ID and passport.

The players' presence, combined with players who were first regulated like Justin Hubner, Calvin Verdonk, Thom Haye, so that Ragnar Arotmangoen was as talented as Egy Maulana Vikri and Ricky Ridho, made Timnas Indonesian quality improve.

The appearance of Timnas Indonesia at the APA ASEAN Cup made a lot of people fall in love. The two goals of injury time against Bangladesh and the victory of the Thai penalty fight will be a legendary story in the future.

After taking away the FIFA ASEAN Cup champion, the Indonesian Timnas is aiming at something bigger. Besides aiming for better results in the next January Asia Cup, the biggest target for Timnas Indonesia is trying to get to the 2030 World Cup.