Naturalized Players in the Indonesian National Team
The list of naturalized players in the Indonesian national team keeps growing through 2026 and they now form the backbone of the Garuda squad. The latest data shows that of 23 players called up to Indonesia in 2026, only 6 were born in Indonesia. The rest went through the naturalization process to become Indonesian citizens.
The six born in Indonesia include Egy Maulana Vikri, Emilio Audero Mulyadi, Nadeo Argawinata, Rizky Ridho, Muhammad Rizky Eka Pratama and Muhammad Rayhan Hannan. The other 17 names come from various countries, mostly born in the Netherlands.
This phenomenon reflects the Indonesian football federation PSSI's aggressive strategy of recruiting players of Indonesian descent and diaspora talent to strengthen the national team in international competitions.
Record 11 Naturalized Players at the 2026 AFF Cup
The 2026 AFF Cup, now called the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, set a new record: 11 naturalized players in the Indonesian squad. That is the most in the country's history at the regional tournament.
The eleven are Jordi Amat, Sandy Walsh, Shayne Pattynama, Justin Hubner, Tim Geypens, Eliano Reijnders, Ivar Jenner, Thom Haye, Marc Klok, Ragnar Oratmangoen and Jens Raven. Coach John Herdman actually called up 12 names, but Justin Hubner could not join because his club, Fortuna Sittard of the Netherlands, refused to release him.
The two naturalized debutants at the tournament are Luke Vickery, a 20-year-old winger officially sworn in as an Indonesian citizen on 16 July 2026, and defender Dion Markx, who took his citizenship oath on 8 February 2025 alongside Ole Romeny and Tim Geypens.
13 Naturalized Players in the Super League
The influx of naturalized players has also reached the domestic league. Thirteen naturalized Indonesian internationals now play in the 2026/2027 BRI Super League, showing the league's growing appeal.
Persib Bandung host five names: Thom Haye, Eliano Reijnders, Dion Markx, Ragnar Oratmangoen and Sandy Walsh. Persija Jakarta field Jordi Amat, Mauro Zijlstra, Shayne Pattynama and Cyrus Margono. Dewa United rely on Rafael Struick and Ivar Jenner, while Bali United are strengthened by Jens Raven and Tim Geypens.
Although the moves sparked debate about declining quality, their presence is expected to raise the competition's level and give valuable experience to local players.
Coming From Many Countries
Most of Indonesia's naturalized players were born in the Netherlands, but several come from elsewhere. Jordi Amat was born in Spain, Elkan Baggott in Thailand, Luke Vickery in the United States and Mitchell Baker in Australia.
This diversity shows how wide PSSI's recruitment net has become. With this composition, Indonesia is now one of the Southeast Asian teams with the most naturalized players, far surpassing Singapore, which once fielded five naturalized players at the 2012 AFF Cup.
