Indonesia Climbs to 117th in FIFA Ranking After Historic ASEAN Cup Triumph

Indonesia celebrated a historic achievement after winning the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, defeating Thailand in a dramatic final at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on October 5. The match ended 2-2 after 120 minutes before Indonesia secured a 4-2 victory in the penalty shootout. The long-awaited title marked a major milestone for the national team at senior level and gave Indonesian football fans a memorable night on home soil.

The final was closely contested from the opening whistle, with Indonesia showing greater confidence in possession while Thailand relied more heavily on defensive organization and quick transitions. The deadlock was eventually broken late in the second half after Thailand was reduced to ten players following Nicholas Mickelson's second yellow card. Dean James' free kick took a deflection off Iklas Sanron and found the net, but Thailand quickly responded through Sanron to force extra time.

Thailand regained the lead in the 111th minute after Peeradol Chamratsamee capitalized on an error in Indonesia's defense. Indonesia refused to give up and found another equalizer five minutes later when Elkan Baggott finished from a rebound following an effort by Rizky Ridho. With neither side able to find a winning goal before the end of extra time, the championship was ultimately decided by penalties.

Indonesia proved more composed in the shootout, with Kevin Diks, Dean James, Elkan Baggott, and Shayne Pattynama all converting their attempts. Goalkeeper Emil Audero also played a decisive role by saving one of Thailand's penalties, while another Thai attempt was missed. The result gave Indonesia a 4-2 shootout win and allowed the Garuda squad to lift the first FIFA ASEAN Cup trophy.

The championship also provided a boost to Indonesia's FIFA ranking, although the shootout victory is not counted as a full win for ranking purposes. FIFA's calculation uses the 2-2 score after 120 minutes, giving Indonesia an additional 3.35 points and lifting its total from 1,163.15 to 1,166.50. The Garuda currently sit 117th in the world in the provisional ranking, just 0.15 points behind 116th-placed Kazakhstan, while Thailand remain considerably higher in 93rd place with 1,251.42 points. The official FIFA ranking update is scheduled for October 7, 2026.