Indonesia is finally hosting a soccer World Cup in this lifetime, even if it is the junior men’s competition.

The 2023 FIFA Under-17 World Cup kicked off on Friday with a matinée opening ceremony in Surabaya, East Java, and four fixtures, one of which saw the debut of the Young Garudas – teen players scouted from all across the nation.

Many soccer fans will be looking to cheer on the national team in its next big international outing, following the raging success of last year’s Asia Football Federation U-16 Youth Championship.

Others will see it as an opportunity to lick their wounds from Indonesia’s failure to host the U-20 World Cup earlier this year, which was eventually moved to Argentina.

Indonesia lost its hosting rights at the time over a ground swell of protest against Israel’s place in the tournament, led by Bali’s then-governor I Wayan Koster and current 2024 presidential election candidate Ganjar Pranowo.

The anti-Israel sentiment has taken on a whole new meaning now that the world is rallying around the Palestinians following the bloody siege on the Gaza Strip.

As such, the U-17 World Cup has the potential to become a lightning rod of a sporting event, as news of the atrocities bleeds into all corners of public and private life.

We might not see a repeat of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which saw Russia sanctioned over its invasion of Ukraine or the host get called out for its anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) stance, but the U-17 competition is likely going to greatly increase the visibility of the world’s support for Palestine.

Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chief Erick Thohir had already lobbied world soccer’s governing body to allow Palestinian flags to fly at the tournament, and without Israel’s participation this time around, there is no barrier to activism for a global humanitarian cause.

But there is also the matter of having the U-17 World Cup potentially take on a political flavor, with the 2024 general election looming large over the global sports event.

With Ganjar practically vindicated for his comments on Israel for the U-20 tournament, and key U-17 fixtures expected to be held in the backyard of vice-presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka in Surakarta, Central Java, election rivalries may still rear their ugly head.

Both figures were previously colleagues in the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), but now Gibran has been named as the running mate to Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto on a rival election ticket.

Even so, let us hope these glaring undercurrents do not distract from the main course of the competition: soccer.

The U-17 World Cup is the first big international soccer tournament held in Indonesia since the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy in Malang, East Java, in October 2022.

The incident saw 135 people, including more than 40 children, die in a stampede to get out after a fierce match descended into chaos, exposing many of the local soccer industry’s shortcomings.

Indeed, despite the PSSI’s huge following, Indonesian soccer still pales when compared with fellow emerging economies like Brazil and Mexico.

It is thus important that the youth squad is given its moment to shine at the World Cup, especially because there is no youth class at the club level in Indonesia.

Indonesian soccer fans are also owed an opportunity to enjoy the World Cup on home soil without life’s many distractions, and it is up to the PSSI to ensure its success.

We can talk about what Indonesia really wants for its bid to host, or cohost, the senior men’s World Cup in the 2030s. But for now, let the youth competition begin!