Spanish Coach: 'The whole world was rooting for Indonesia to beat Iran'

Coach Hector Souto shared some interesting insights following Indonesia’s unfortunate defeat to Iran in the 2026 Asian Futsal final.

The head coach of the Indonesian national futsal team, Hector Souto, joked that Indonesia had the support of the entire world during their 2026 Asian Futsal Cup final match against Iran on Saturday. In the game held at Indonesia Arena, Jakarta, Indonesia lost 4-5 in a penalty shootout after a 5-5 draw in regular and extra time.

'In my opinion, there is only one country that wants Iran to win currently. Across the globe, many nations are backing Indonesia',Souto said during the post-match press conference.

Although his team delivered an impressive performance all the way to the final, the Spanish coach emphasized the importance of maintaining humility in accepting this achievement. He believes that reaching the final does not guarantee repeating the same success in the next tournament.

'We must stay grounded. If this tournament were held again in two weeks, we might not even reach the final',he stated. Souto added that Indonesia needs to improve its preparation to face the fierce competition in Asia, as there are still many strong teams in the region.

Coach Souto also stressed the necessity of improving grassroots levels, especially training facilities. He assessed that the quality of the playing surfaces used by local players is still not adequate to support a fast-paced style of play.

'The grassroots courts are not good enough. We need to invest in infrastructure so players can develop and compete at speeds comparable to artificial turf fields', he said. According to Coach Souto, enhancing infrastructure is key to ensuring Indonesian futsal can consistently compete at the highest level in Asia in the future.

Souto does not set overly ambitious goals beyond reaching the Asian Futsal Cup final for the first time. 'As for the next goal... as always. Attend the tournament, prepare as well as possible, and give our best effort,' the Spanish coach said.