Southeast Asian teams set sights on 2030 World Cup

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, August 1, 2026

Southeast Asian teams have kicked off their preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup with the Asean Cup tournament in Cambodia, where Indonesia has shown strong early form under new coach John Herdman. This competition is crucial as it sets the stage for Asian World Cup qualifiers next year, with Indonesia boosting its squad through naturalized players to pursue its first World Cup qualification since 1938.

Southeast Asian football teams have begun early preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup as the Asean Cup tournament gets underway in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Despite their recent losses—Cambodia fell 2-1 to Singapore and 5-1 to Indonesia in Group A—the competition, which features 10 national teams from the region, has drawn significant attention as the starting point for regional teams eyeing World Cup qualification.

The biennial tournament serves not only as a contest for the trophy but also as a platform for teams to build momentum ahead of the Asian qualification rounds, which start next year. Southeast Asia, a region with a combined population of approximately 650 million, has yet to secure a spot in the World Cup finals since Indonesia’s appearance in 1938, when it competed as the Dutch East Indies. Among the region’s football powerhouses, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam possess the most promising prospects for future qualification.

Khiev Sameth, president of the Asean Football Federation, expressed optimism about the region’s chances of advancing to the global stage. “I firmly believe that our shared dream of seeing a Southeast Asian nation qualify for the FIFA World Cup is becoming increasingly attainable,” he said. “When that moment arrives, it will be a proud achievement shared by our entire Asean football family.”

Indonesia, which has reached the Asean Cup final six times but never claimed the title in its 15 appearances, came notably close to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. In a bid to strengthen its squad, the country appointed English coach John Herdman in January. Herdman, credited with leading Canada to its first World Cup in 36 years in 2022, has committed himself to Indonesia's qualification ambitions. “Every day I wake up, everything I’ll be thinking about is qualifying this team for a World Cup,” Herdman said ahead of the tournament. Indonesian players started strong with a 5-1 win over Cambodia followed by a 3-0 victory against East Timor, with upcoming matches against Vietnam and Singapore slated for next week.

Indonesia is also focusing on expanding its talent pool through the nationalization of eligible overseas players. In July, Australian-born players Mitch Baker and Luke Vickery obtained Indonesian citizenship in ceremonies held in Jakarta. Baker, 19, made an immediate impact by scoring a hat-trick and earning player of the match honors in his debut at the Asean Cup. Erick Thohir, Indonesia’s minister of youth and sports and head of the country’s football federation, highlighted the nation’s ambitious goals. “We have ambitious targets for the SEA Games, Asian Games, Olympics, and even the World Cup,” he said. Thohir added that the collaboration with naturalized players is part of a broader effort to elevate Indonesian sports and foster national pride under the red and white flag.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.