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Naturalization of footballers and the meaning of the nation
Naturalization not only reflects a pragmatic strategy, but also reveals how deeply intertwined soccer has become with politics, media spectacle and national identity construction.
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Indonesians Ole Romeny (center), Ragnar Oratmangoen (right) and Marselino Ferdinan celebrate after scoring the first goal during the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifier soccer match between Indonesia and Bahrain at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on March 25. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
O
n the night of March 25, after iftar, the roar of Gelora Bung Karno Stadium shook Jakarta. Indonesia had just beaten Bahrain 1–0 in its World Cup qualifying match, thanks to a winning strike by naturalized forward Ole Romeny.
The crowd erupted not just for the goal, but for what it represented: hope!
For a brief moment, the elusive World Cup dream felt within reach. The sea of red jerseys, the tears in eyes of fans and the chants that echoed across the city embodied a powerful emotion. This was not just a soccer match, but also a moment of imagined victory for a nation long yearning to belong on the global stage.
Indonesia still faces grueling tests to qualify for its first-ever World Cup finals next year, even if it beats China and Japan in the last two group matches.
However, behind this euphoria lies a deeper question. Who, exactly, is representing Indonesia in this historic campaign? And what are we sacrificing in pursuit of that dream?
Under Erick Thohir’s leadership, the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) has aggressively pursued the naturalization of foreign-born players. Since 2023, 19 players have been granted Indonesian citizenship to strengthen the national team.
With more players reportedly in the naturalization pipeline, this trend not only reflects a pragmatic strategy, but also reveals how deeply intertwined soccer has become with politics, media spectacle and national identity construction.
