The upcoming clash between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia is a critical encounter in the fourth qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup. This stage features six teams, who finished third and fourth in the three groups of the third qualifying round, divided into two groups. Teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the two group winners directly securing spots in the 2026 World Cup. The two second-place teams will engage in a two-leg playoff to earn a spot in the inter-confederation playoff. For Indonesia, a draw in this opening match would be a positive result before they face Iraq on 12/10.

Indonesia's 29-player squad for this round features 18 players of mixed heritage. Key figures include center-back Jay Idzes, who plays for Sassuolo in Serie A, Calvin Verdonk (Lille, Ligue 1), Kevin Diks (Borussia Monchengladbach, Bundesliga), and forward Ole Romeny (Oxford United, English Championship). Mark Klok, from the Netherlands, is the sole fully naturalized player. The squad also includes two U21 strikers, Miliano Jonathans and Mauro Zijlstra, who play for Utrecht and Volendam, respectively, in the Dutch national league.

Several familiar faces are absent from the Indonesian lineup, including Marselino Ferdinan, Ivar Jenner, and Rafael Struick, primarily due to limited playing time with their clubs. Additionally, goalkeeper Emil Audero, who plays for Cremonese in Serie A, is sidelined due to injury.

In contrast, the Saudi Arabian national team primarily comprises players from their domestic league. They will only be joined by three foreign-based players one day before the match: Saud Abdulhamid (Lens, France), Muhannad Al-Saad (Lausanne-Sport, Switzerland), and Marwan Al-Sahafi (Antwerp, Belgium).

The Saudi team sees the return of three players from injury: defenders Mohamed Sulaiman and Hassan Tambakti, and midfielder Ayman Yahya. Their attack is still led by star player Salem Al-Dawsari.

This match also carries historical weight. In the third qualifying round, Indonesia previously drew Saudi Arabia 1-1 in an away game and secured a 2-0 victory at home. Saudi Arabia has a strong recent World Cup qualifying record, having secured berths in the last two World Cups through successful home matches. Indonesia's sole World Cup appearance was in 1938 in France, when they competed under the name Dutch East Indies during the colonial period.