Indonesia vs China

Gelora Bung Karno Madya Stadium is the venue as Indonesia and China go head-to-head in a ‘make or break’ 2026 World Cup qualifying showdown.

If Indonesia are to qualify for their first World Cup finals since 1938, this is a fixture they must win. With only two games to go, they trail second-placed Australia by four points, meaning automatic qualification is completely out of their hands. However, Patrick Kluivert’s men must hold up their end of the bargain and secure back-to-back wins in Group C for the first time after seeing off Bahrain 1-0 in the previous round. That’s easier said than done, considering they’ve alternated between winning (2) and losing (2) across their last four World Cup qualifiers. It’s worth noting that both those wins came at home and saw them keep a clean sheet, which could be integral as they seek their first win over China since 1957.

Indeed, the Chinese have beaten Indonesia in seven of their nine meetings since their last H2H loss (D2), including a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture in October. Despite backing up that victory with a 1-0 triumph at Bahrain in the following round, the visitors are on the verge of missing out on a top-four finish in Group C. Branko Ivankovic’s charges trail their fourth-placed hosts by three points pre-round after losing three consecutive World Cup qualifiers via a combined score of 6-1. Therefore, anything but a win in this high-stakes contest would see the Dragon Team’s hopes of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time since 2002 end here and now.