The draw for the 24-team competition, which begins on May 20, was scheduled for Friday in Bali, but FIFA cancelled the ceremony last week without providing a reason or assigning a new date.
Indonesia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, and the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country has strong sympathy for the Palestinian cause, fueling local resistance to hosting the Israeli squad.
In addition to Bali’s governor demanding for Israel’s exclusion from the competition, approximately a hundred orthodox Muslim activists marched in Jakarta this month to oppose Israel’s participation.
Officials in Indonesia indicated earlier this week that failing to host the event might result in fines that would exclude them from participating in future international football contests, including World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers.
They said that losing the tournament may result in economic losses in the billions of rupiah (1 trillion rupiah = $66 million). Further punishments are conceivable. Potential fines against the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) may also be considered at a later time, according to FIFA.
After sending a letter from (Indonesia) President Jokowi and speaking at length with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, we must respect FIFA’s decision to postpone the event that we were both looking forward to, said Erick Thohir, president of the Indonesian FA, following the Doha meetings.
Since Indonesia is a FIFA member, we must respect the regulations that have been established; FIFA believes that the existing scenario cannot be sustained; we must surrender, he stated.
We must remain strong, and I urge all football fans to maintain their heads held high in the face of FIFA’s difficult decision, because, in my opinion, now is the opportunity to prove to FIFA that we must work harder to reform football, towards clean football, and successes.
Indonesia hasn’t participated in the event since 1979. They had qualified for the tournament automatically as hosts, but will now forfeit that spot to the new hosts whenever they are chosen. It was to be the Southeast Asian archipelago nation’s first major football event.
The decision also comes after a stadium stampede in East Java in October killed 135 people, making it one of the deadliest catastrophes in the sport’s history.
Despite this decision, FIFA is dedicated to actively aiding the PSSI, in close coordination and with the government’s backing, in the reform process of Indonesian football following the tragedy that occurred in October 2022.
Israel qualified for the tournament for the first time after reaching the final of the European Under-19 Championship last year, when they were beaten by England.
