Erick’s political future at risk amid Indonesia’s World Cup woes

With Indonesia’s national soccer team failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Erick Thohir faces intense pressure as chairman of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI). The setback may also threaten his role as Youth and Sports Minister in President Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet, a position now seen as vulnerable given his lack of formal political party backing and the apparent move to expel former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s allies from the government.

Indonesia’s World Cup campaign ended in the fourth qualifying round after consecutive losses to Saudi Arabia and Iraq. These disappointing results dashed hopes of a historic qualification despite the national team’s earlier strong performance in the third qualifying round, highlighted by a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Jakarta and a 0-0 draw in Jeddah.

That positive momentum was largely credited to Shin Tae-yong, the South Korean coach who built and nurtured the national team from 2020 to 2025, before being controversially replaced by Patrick Kluivert. Shin was recruited during the tenure of former PSSI chairman Mochammad Iriawan, a retired police general who led the association from 2019 to 2023.

Erick dismissed Shin and appointed Kluivert early this year, arguing that the former Dutch soccer star would better connect with Indonesia’s growing pool of naturalized players, most of whom are of Dutch origin. However, the decision was widely criticized as premature and destabilizing, as the team had been performing well and Kluivert’s coaching credentials remained largely unproven.

The PSSI’s ongoing push for player naturalization was one factor behind Erick’s decision to restructure the national team’s management with more Dutch-linked figures. Ironically, Erick has a poor track record with Dutch coaches, most notably Frank de Boer, whom he hired during his tenure as president of Italian giant Inter Milan.

Andre Rosiade, a lawmaker from the Gerindra party and an advisor to the Semen Padang soccer club, publicly called for Kluivert’s dismissal. Andre criticized the coach’s failure to qualify Indonesia for the World Cup and his “disrespectful” behavior in remaining seated on the bench instead of joining the team to thank supporters after the defeat to Iraq.

In the end, the PSSI and the national team’s coaching staff, including Kluivert, officially agreed to end their collaboration early through a mutual termination mechanism. The agreement was signed between the PSSI and the members of the coaching team, who had previously been bound by a two-year contract.

Public sentiment has also turned in favor of reinstating Shin, who remains popular for revitalizing the national team and leading its resurgence prior to Kluivert’s appointment.

The team’s earlier success under Shin’s tutelage was a key factor behind Erick’s appointment as Youth and Sports Minister, following his previous role as State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister. The ministerial shift was initially seen as advantageous for Erick, as the newly amended SOEs Law downgraded the ministry’s status to a supervisory agency, with most operational control transferred to state asset fund Danantara.

Erick, known for his close ties to Jokowi, has no formal affiliation with any political party within President Prabowo’s ruling coalition, though he has links with the National Mandate Party (PAN), which previously endorsed him as a potential vice-presidential candidate alongside Prabowo.

According to State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, following Indonesia’s World Cup woes, Erick personally apologized to President Prabowo, who reportedly expressed disappointment over the national team’s failure. Amid a series of ongoing cabinet reshuffles, Erick’s position is now at risk of review.

Complicating matters further, FIFA’s statutes mandate the independence of national soccer associations from government interference. Erick’s dual role as minister and PSSI chairman could therefore be seen as a potential violation of FIFA regulations, creating an additional layer of external vulnerability.

Playing in World Cup finals was the high stakes offering Erick made to secure his political future under Prabowo's administration. Now that the World Cup dream is shattered, what political leverage does he have left?