The draw on 17/7 placed Indonesia in Group B with host Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In the third round of qualifying, Indonesia tied Saudi Arabia 1-1 away and then won 2-0 at home.

Following the draw, Hubner posted a picture on Instagram of himself kicking Mohammed Al Qahtani in the head during their previous match, with the caption "See you soon". The incident, which occurred in the 89th minute of Indonesia's 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on 19/11/2024 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, resulted in a red card for Hubner.

Justin Hubner (right) fouls Mohammed Al Qahtani, resulting in a direct red card, during Indonesia's 2-0 win against Saudi Arabia in the third round of 2026 World Cup qualifying at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia, on 19/11/2024. Photo: Jawa Pos

According to Arabic sports news outlet Winwin, Saudi Arabian fans were angered by the post, viewing it as disrespectful. "Many fans consider Hubner's post to be belittling the national team ahead of the fourth round rematch in Saudi Arabia," the Winwin article stated.

On the morning of 18/7, Hubner deleted the post and apologized. "I am sorry if anyone was offended. Love you all," he wrote.

Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and a father of Indonesian descent, Hubner developed his skills in Dutch youth football before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He was loaned to Japanese club Cerezo Osaka until the end of 2024, before returning to Wolves. He is expected to join English fourth-tier team Notts County for the 2025-2026 season.

Justin Hubner (right) fouls Mohammed Al Qahtani, resulting in a direct red card, during Indonesia's 2-0 win against Saudi Arabia in the third round of 2026 World Cup qualifying at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia, on 19/11/2024. Photo: Jawa Pos

A naturalized Indonesian citizen since 11/2023, Hubner has been part of several successes for the national team, including their first appearance in the round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Cup, qualifying for the second round of the 2026 World Cup for the first time, and reaching the semi-finals of the 2024 U23 Asian Cup.

In the fourth round of 2026 World Cup qualifying, Indonesia will face Saudi Arabia on 8/10 and Iraq on 11/10 in Group B. Indonesia previously played Iraq twice in the second round of qualifying, losing 1-5 and 0-2. Group A consists of Qatar, UAE, and Oman.

The teams in the fourth round will play a single round-robin. The top two teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The two second-place teams will advance to the fifth round for a two-leg playoff. The winner will then compete in the intercontinental playoffs against a representative from Africa, South America, Oceania, and two from North and Central America.

Trung Thu