REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia defender Kevin Diks believes failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup will make Garuda's squad grow stronger.

“At the moment it feels hollow, but I know that someday this pain will turn into strength,” the German league player Borussia Moenchengladbach said, quoted from his official Instagram on Monday (13/10/2025).

Kevin has always been a starter and played at full-back in two Asian zone 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Fourth Round matches against Saudi Arabia and Iraq, all of which ended in defeats.

In the two matches played at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Kevin started the match against the hosts with a duet with Jay Idzes at centre-back. In that match, he scored two penalty goals in a 2—3 loss.

In the second game, Kevin played slightly wide as a right defender, with the central defender filled in by the duet of Rizky Ridho and Jay Idzes.

Making his debut with Indonesia at a game against Japan in Jakarta last year, Kevin revealed, “it hurts to explain how much this hurts”.

“We dreamed of something so big, and we gave everything to make it happen. Every training session, every game, is for this country and for the people who believe in us,” the 29-year-old said.

At the end of the caption on his Instagram post, Kevin did not forget to thank Garuda supporters who always support wherever and whenever Indonesia plays.

“Thank you Indonesia for standing with us through all this,” Kevin said.

After the 2026 edition, the closest World Cup will be played in 2030 in six countries: Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay. It was the 100th edition of the World Cup since it was first hosted in Uruguay in 1930.

“We will continue to fight for this dream, forever,” Kevin said, sending a message to Garuda supporters that his team is still not giving up on realizing the dream of playing in the World Cup with Indonesia.

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