Three Naturalized Indonesian Football Team Players

KBRN, Jakarta: The Indonesian national football team will face Saudi Arabia in the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday evening (10/8/2025) local time, several naturalized players will be participating.

The Indonesia vs. Saudi Arabia match will be held at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Previously, Indonesia had played against Saudi Arabia twice in this competition and had never lost.

The strength of the Indonesian team is currently supported by several foreign players who have been naturalized as Indonesian citizens. Some of them are Ole Romeny, Jay Idzes, and Maarten Paes - all three were born in the Netherlands. Many of the naturalized players have ties to the Netherlands, considering that the Netherlands once colonized the Indonesian region during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Ole Romeny in Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung Regency, West Java on Thursday (10/7/2025). (Photo: RRI/Bilal Wibisono)

Ole Romeny is a player who serves as one of the strikers for the Indonesian national team. In addition to playing for Indonesia, he currently plays for the English Football League (EFL) club, Oxford United F.C.

Romeny was born in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, but his maternal grandmother was born in Medan, North Sumatra, during the Dutch colonial period. Romeny became an Indonesian citizen in February 2025.

Romeny began his senior career at NEC Nijmegen, a club in his hometown, in 2018. He moved between several clubs before playing for FC Utrecht in 2023. In early 2025, Romeny signed a contract with Oxford United F.C.

Romeny made his debut for the Indonesian national team against Australia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on March 20, 2025. Although Indonesia lost to Australia, Romeny was the only goal scorer for Indonesia, scoring in the 78th minute.

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Romeny has played in four matches and scored at least three goals. Most recently, he scored the lone winning goal for Indonesia against China on June 5.

Jay Idzes in a press conference on Thursday (14/11/2024). (Photo: RRI/Muhammad Rifqi Halim)

Jay Idzes is a defender for the Indonesian national team. He also plays for the Italian Serie A club, U.S. Sassuolo.

Idzes was born in Mierlo, southern Netherlands, but his maternal grandfather was born in Semarang, Central Java. Unlike Romeny, Idzes became an Indonesian citizen earlier, in December 2023.

Idzes began his senior career at the Dutch club FC Eindhoven in 2018. In 2023, he joined the Italian club Venezia FC, which at the time was still competing in Serie B. While at Venezia FC, he helped the team gain promotion to Serie A, Italy’s top football league.

Idzes made his debut with the Indonesian team in a match against Vietnam during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In the second leg of that match on March 26, he scored the only goal, giving Indonesia the edge over Vietnam.

Maarten Paes in a FC Dallas match. (Photo: FC Dallas)

Unlike Romeny and Idzes, who play in the field's center, Maarten Paes plays as a goalkeeper. He represents both the Indonesian national team and the American club FC Dallas, which competes in Major League Soccer (MLS).

Paes was born in Nijmegen, just like Romeny, and his maternal grandmother was born in Kediri, East Java. He officially became an Indonesian citizen in 2024, after going through the naturalization process.

Paes began his senior career at NEC Nijmegen in 2016, before playing for FC Utrecht in 2018. Since 2022, he has been with FC Dallas.

Paes began guarding the goal for the Indonesian national team on September 5, 2024, in a match against Saudi Arabia. Since joining the Garuda Squad, he has appeared in at least eight matches.