RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian national futsal team pushed continental powerhouse Iran to the absolute limit before ultimately falling 4-5 in a dramatic penalty shootout during the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup final on Saturday, February 7, 2026. 

Playing in front of a home crowd at the Indonesia Arena in Central Jakarta, the "Garuda" squad managed to hold the giants to a thrilling 5-5 draw through both regulation and extra time. Despite the narrow loss on penalties, head coach Hector Souto expressed immense pride in his players' resilient struggle, marking this championship climax as a historic milestone for Indonesian futsal on the international stage.

“I want to congratulate the players because they did an amazing job. What we achieved in this time is truly incredible,” Souto said during the post-match press conference, Saturday, as quoted by Antara. 

The Spanish coach assessed that Indonesia's achievement in reaching the final and providing fierce resistance to Iran serves as evidence of the significant development of national futsal at the Asian level.

Iran has now officially recorded 14 AFC Futsal Asian Cup titles following this victory. According to Souto, one of the Garuda squad's main strengths during the match was their mental aspect. “We were very strong mentally. The way the players handled the pressure throughout the match was not easy,” he said.

He noted that his team was able to survive various difficult situations to force the match into a penalty shootout, even while facing an opponent with a massive international reputation. On the other hand, Souto openly acknowledged that a quality gap still exists between Indonesia and Asia's top-tier nations.

“Iran and Japan are still stronger than us. They have top-level players on a world scale,” said Souto.

He added that the tempo of play in Asian competitions is much higher compared to the domestic league, posing a unique challenge for Indonesian players. This experience is expected to serve as a vital foundation for the team's future growth on the international stage. ***