Indonesia's futsal team made history by finishing as runners-up in the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup after a 4-5 penalty shootout loss to Iran in a dramatic final at Indonesia Arena, Jakarta, on February 7, 2026. The match ended 5-5 after normal and extra time, marking Indonesia's best achievement in the tournament after 11 participations. PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir praised the strong mentality of coach Hector Souto's squad despite no trophy.
The 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup final between Indonesia and Iran was intense at Indonesia Arena, Jakarta, on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Defending champions Iran, with 14 titles, opened scoring through Hossein Tayebibidgoli in the third minute. Indonesia responded quickly with Reza Gunawan in the seventh, followed by two goals from Israr Megantara to lead 3-1 before halftime. Mahdi Karimi pulled one back to 3-2 for Iran.
The second half remained tight. Saeid Ahmad Abbasi leveled 3-3 in the 23rd minute, Samuel Eko put Indonesia ahead 4-3, but Karimi equalized again to 4-4 in the 37th. In extra time, Israr completed his hattrick in the 48th for a 5-4 lead, but Abbasi tied it 5-5. Iran won the penalty shootout 5-4 after misses by Dewa Rizki and Israr, with Hossein Sabzi scoring the decider.
This was Indonesia's first final after 11 editions, surpassing their previous quarterfinal best. The journey began topping Group A: 5-0 win over South Korea (two goals from captain Mochammad Iqbal), 5-3 over Kyrgyzstan, and 1-1 draw with Iraq. In the quarterfinals, they beat Vietnam 3-2 (goals by Brian Lindrey, Ardiansyah Nur, Reza Gunawan). In the semifinal, they defeated Japan 5-3 after extra time.
Coach Hector Souto said pre-match that his team had no pressure, with the burden on Iran, who have a record of 105 AFC matches with only four losses. "How can we have pressure if this is our first final?" he said. Erick Thohir praised on Instagram: "Thank you for the struggle and extraordinary achievement... the Garuda squad performed solidly and fearless." AFC lauded the final's atmosphere as one of the best. Thousands of supporters filled the stadium, creating roars throughout the match.
