AFC praised Indonesia after their loss to Iran in the final

Mr. Erick Thohir mentioned that AFC praised Indonesia for hosting the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship, calling the final "the most exciting game they have ever seen."

Indonesia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, who is also the Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association, Erick Thohir, spoke about the achievements of the Indonesian Futsal Team at the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship. As the host nation, the team known as the Red and Whites made history by finishing as runners-up at the 2026 AFC Futsal Cup.

This accomplishment marks the furthest the Indonesian futsal team has advanced in the history of the AFC Futsal Cup, having previously reached the quarterfinals in 2022 in Kuwait. The Red and Whites lost narrowly to Iran 4-5 in a penalty shootout after a 5-5 draw in 40 minutes of regular time and 10 minutes of extra time in the final round.

Erick Thohir stated that AFC praised Indonesia as the host of the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship, describing the final as "the best match they have ever witnessed." Erick Thohir also watched the 2026 AFC Futsal Cup final held at Indonesia Arena, Central Jakarta, on the evening of Saturday (February 7, 2026).

"As I mentioned earlier, AFC expressed their high regard. They said this was the best final they have ever seen, not only in terms of competition," Erick Thohir said. "But from the start of this championship, the AFC Federation greatly appreciated the large audience turnout. They said this was the greatest edition ever," he explained.

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

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