Southeast Asian fans collectively react to Indonesia's loss to Iran in the Asian final

Indonesia's narrow loss to Iran in the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup final triggered an outpouring of feelings from Southeast Asian supporters, mixing disappointment with pride for their team.

On the evening of February 7th (Vietnam time), Indonesia’s bitter defeat to Iran in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 final not only left the host nation with deep regret, but also sparked a strong wave of reactions from Southeast Asian fans across social media platforms.

Immediately after the nerve-wracking penalty shootout, where Indonesia fell 4-5, numerous futsal and football forums in the region exploded with emotion. Most Southeast Asian fans expressed profound regret as their representative had come very close to winning the championship, even holding the advantage multiple times during regular and extra time.

“Indonesia played a final to remember; they just lacked a bit of luck,” commented a user from Thailand.

Meanwhile, Malaysian fans shared: “Losing on penalties is the cruelest way, but Indonesia can hold their heads high.”

Many opinions regarded this match as clear evidence of Southeast Asia’s remarkable progress in futsal. Indonesia’s repeated leads against Iran (one of the continent’s most traditionally strong teams) made many regional fans feel proud.

“The gap between Southeast Asia and West Asia is no longer significant. Indonesia has proven we can compete fairly,” noted a Vietnamese supporter.

Alongside words of encouragement, there were also many comments lamenting pivotal moments. Several fans felt Indonesia lacked a bit of composure at crucial times, especially when Iran quickly equalized in extra time after Indonesia took a 5-4 lead: “Just a few seconds of lost focus ruined all the hard work,” shared a user from Singapore.

Nevertheless, the dominant sentiment remained one of respect and recognition. On many regional futsal pages, images of Indonesian players collapsing after the penalty shootout received thousands of shares along with messages of support. For Southeast Asian fans, this defeat is not the end but an important stepping stone, opening hope for a brighter future for regional futsal on the Asian stage.