On his personal page, Hubner posted a photo of a past challenge with a Vietnamese player, accompanied by the caption: "They have forgotten what we did to them in the World Cup qualifiers."

Hubner continued his subtle taunts with an enigmatic comment under a post by Seasia Goal. The page's post featured the caption: "Unforgiving champions. Vietnam delivered a perfect performance, defeating Indonesia on their home turf. Absolute dominance. A flawless display."

Hubner mocked Vietnam's 3-0 victory over Indonesia in the fourth round of Group A, ASEAN Cup 2026, at Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, Indonesia, on 3/8. *Screenshot*

Below the post, Hubner wrote sarcastically: "In a tournament that is not an official FIFA event, you played well. We will meet again in official tournaments. Congratulations!" His comment garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of responses.

The "official tournaments" the 22-year-old defender alluded to were the World Cup 2026 qualifiers - Asian region. In those matches, Indonesia defeated Vietnam 1-0 at home and 3-0 at My Dinh Stadium. Previously, Indonesia also beat Vietnam 1-0 in the Asian Cup 2023 group stage. Hubner started in all three of these matches. Indonesia later exited the Asian Cup in the round of 16 and the fourth round of World Cup qualifiers.

Hubner's remarks quickly sparked debate. A segment of Indonesian fans agreed, arguing that the ASEAN Cup is not part of the official FIFA competition system and holds less value than World Cup qualifiers. However, many others criticized Hubner for a lack of sportsmanship, making such comments immediately after the team's significant defeat.

More sarcastic comments from Hubner on Instagram after the match. *Screenshot*

Hubner, 22, was born in the Netherlands to an Indonesian father and a Dutch mother. He developed in the Wolverhampton Wanderers academy, then played for Cerezo Osaka on loan before joining Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch league in summer 2025. The 1,87 m tall center-back has earned 21 caps for the Indonesian national team, but he did not participate in the ASEAN Cup 2026 as the tournament does not fall within FIFA Days.

Indonesia fielded eight naturalized players in the 0-3 loss to Vietnam at Pakansari Stadium, including two without Indonesian heritage: center-back Jordi Amat and midfielder Marc Klok. However, they were still missing many naturalized players with Indonesian roots, such as Maarten Paes, Emil Audero, Jay Idzes, Kevin Diks, Ole Romeny, and Mees Hilgers.

This is not the first time Hubner has drawn attention for statements regarding the Vietnam national team. Following Indonesia's two victories in the World Cup qualifiers in 2024, he wrote on social media that his team "defeated Vietnam too easily." That statement also generated much discussion among fans of both nations.

Key moments of the match. *Video*

This time, the circumstances were reversed. At Pakansari Stadium, the Vietnam national team dominated, leading 2-0 within the first 15 minutes. Van Vi opened the scoring from a Hoang Duc assist in the sixth minute, before Hai Long doubled the lead from a through pass by Le Pham Thanh Long. In the second half, Hoang Duc continued to impress with a through pass that helped Nguyen Xuan Son score the third goal, sealing a 3-0 victory.

This marked Indonesia's first defeat under coach John Herdman in the ASEAN Cup 2026, following consecutive wins against Cambodia and Timor Leste in the first two rounds. The result also caused Indonesia to lose the top spot in Group A, dropping to third place with six points, one point behind Vietnam.

Vietnam has almost secured a spot in the semifinals with one match remaining. Kim Sang-sik's team will host Cambodia at My Dinh Stadium in the final Group A match on 7/8. Conversely, Indonesia faces a must-win situation against Singapore to advance to the semifinals.

After the ASEAN Cup 2026, Vietnam and Indonesia will meet again in the FIFA ASEAN Cup, also held in Indonesia, next September. This upcoming tournament will be part of FIFA Days and carry a higher weighting for calculating national team rankings.

By Hoang An