Malaysian and Thai media raised the issue of possible impacts on FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 from field conditions, safety of players and fans to aviation operations.
Faced with these developments, the President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Erick Thohir inspected the locations selected to serve the tournament. Some stadiums were affected by volcanic ash, forcing the management unit to strengthen sanitation and field inspection.
However, up to now, the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 schedule has not been adjusted. Indonesia is still implementing the final work to be ready to organize the tournament.
The tournament takes place from September 24 to October 5. Indonesia hosts matches in the 1st Division, gathering 8 Southeast Asian teams with high FIFA rankings and 2 guest teams, divided into two groups.
Specifically at the Gelora Bung Karno Complex, volcanic ash appeared in the main stadium area but is being processed. CNN Indonesia quoted information from the management unit as saying that the entire layer of ash at the stadium will be removed before the tournament starts.
Mr. Rakhmadi Afif Kusumo - Chairman and Director of Gelora Bung Karno Complex Management Center said that the stadium still meets the requirements through inspections. Sanitation work continues to be implemented to ensure that this location is qualified to host international matches.
