An Indonesian team under Dutch colonial rule sailed to France for the 1938 World Cup — its lost its only game 6-0 and the country has not played at the tournament since.
More than 80 years on, soccer-mad Indonesia is dreaming of a return, with a large contingent of Netherlands-born players spearheading the charge.
Indonesia is in the decisive third round of Asian qualifying as it attempts to reach the 2026 World Cup in North America.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.