Indonesia has moved into fourth place in the Asian Football Confederation’s latest men’s club competition rankings for the 2026/2027 season, collecting 7,500 points and overtaking traditional powers China and South Korea, according to AFC data released Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, Janalokajournal.id reported.
The jump places Indonesia second in the AFC East Zone, directly behind Japan, which leads Asia with 9,817 points. The updated Men’s Club Competitions MA Points (Single Season) table, published at 08:48 on Oct. 30, also shows Indonesia ahead of China (7,222) and South Korea (5,283), a result driven by the group-stage performances of Persib Bandung and Borneo FC Samarinda.
Persib’s Perfect Run and Borneo’s Group Title Drive the Rise
Persib Bandung reeled off three straight wins in Group E of the AFC Champions League Two: a 1-0 victory over FC Seoul in South Korea on Sept. 16, a 1-0 win against The Cong-Viettel FC, and a 2-0 defeat of Melbourne Victory on Oct. 28, with Balsa Sekulic scoring both goals, per Janalokajournal.id.
Persib later extended the streak to four wins, beating Melbourne Victory 2-1 at AAMI Park in Australia on Nov. 4, with goals from Luka Menalo and Sekulic, according to ANTARA News Kalsel and VIVA. That result left Persib atop Group E with 12 points from four matches and secured a place in the round of 16. Disway Malang detailed the comeback in Australia: Melbourne Victory led 1-0 after an own goal by Julio Cesar in the 71st minute, before Menalo, a substitute, equalized in the 85th minute.
Borneo FC Samarinda, meanwhile, won Group D of the AFC Challenge League 2026/2027 with six points, defeating Yangon United 2-0 and Tainan City FC 3-1 to reach the quarterfinals, Janalokajournal.id reported.
Where Indonesia Sits in the Asian and Southeast Asian Tables
| Rank | Country | Points (2026/2027) | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 9.817 | East |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | 8.333 | West |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 8.078 | West |
| 4 | Indonesia | 7.500 | East |
| 5 | China | 7.222 | East |
| 6 | Malaysia | 6.333 | Southeast Asia |
| 7 | Cambodia | 6.333 | Southeast Asia |
| 8 | South Korea | 5.283 | East |
| 9 | Vietnam | 4.633 | Southeast Asia |
| 10 | Thailand | 4.167 | Southeast Asia |
Indonesia’s ascent was already visible the week before: on Oct. 23, the country sat fifth with 5,675 points before climbing to fourth, Janalokajournal.id reported. Regionally, Indonesia now holds the highest single-season point total in Southeast Asia, ahead of Malaysia and Cambodia (6,333 each), Vietnam (4,633) and Thailand (4,167).
Why the Fourth Place Matters — and What It Does Not Guarantee
The fourth-place ranking applies only to points earned in the 2026/2027 season. The overall AFC coefficient that determines allocation of club competition slots is calculated across multiple seasons — ANTARA, citing AFC regulations, reported the ranking is based on club results over eight competition seasons with different weightings, and that points are valued differently depending on the tier of the tournament.
That distinction means Indonesia’s surge does not automatically deliver an AFC Champions League Elite berth. Still, I.League chief executive Ferry Paulus said the added points could open the door to extra slots for Indonesian clubs in future Asian competitions. “Every win earns additional points and we are confident, although it depends on clubs from Vietnam and Singapore,” Paulus said, according to ANTARA. “If they stumble, we feel we can overtake them.”
Paulus also praised both clubs for advancing from the group stage. “It’s not just Persib — there’s also Borneo that advanced to the next stage,” he said after the Cendrawasih Karsa Media Cup 2026 final in Jakarta, per ANTARA. “Advanced from the group stage.”
League Officials Credit Squad Depth and Scheduling
Speaking to VIVA, Paulus attributed part of the improvement to the addition of foreign player slots and squad rotation at clubs such as Persib, saying the results show Indonesian football has “improved a lot” in recent years. He also pointed to better synchronization between the league operator and clubs, which gives players adequate recovery time when domestic and Asian fixtures fall close together.
Radar Cirebon reported that the overall league coefficient moved sharply as well, with Indonesia’s league ranking climbing from 20th to 16th in Asia with a total of 32.309 points, putting it closer to Singapore and Vietnam in the multi-season table.
Consistency Will Decide Whether the Position Holds
Janalokajournal.id cautioned that maintaining fourth place will depend on how Indonesia’s representatives fare in the remaining matches, since the single-season points continue to accumulate. Persib still had two group matches left to confirm first place in Group E after securing its round-of-16 spot, and Borneo had qualified for the AFC Challenge League quarterfinals.
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