PSSI denies that Rizky Ridho was not called up by John Herdman for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup.

Jakarta - PSSI has denied reports claiming Rizky Ridho was dropped from the Indonesia National Team squad for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. PSSI Secretary General Yunus Nusi confirmed that this information currently has no valid basis, as he has not yet received any player list from head coach John Herdman.

Rumors of Ridho being removed first circulated after football analyst Ronny Pangemanan, also known as Ropan, stated the 24-year-old defender was not among Herdman's selections for the Southeast Asian international tournament scheduled to begin in late September.

However, PSSI confirmed no official squad list has been submitted by the coaching team.

"Yes, as far as I am concerned this is nothing but hoax news. Up until today I have not signed off, nor reviewed or received any proposed squad or player names submitted by John Herdman. All official player registration administration must go through the Secretary General by protocol, and I have not received any such documents yet," stated Yunus during remarks in South Jakarta on Wednesday.

This confirmation clarifies that Rizky Ridho's status for Indonesia's 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup squad has not been officially decided.

PSSI Has Not Received Player Roster

Yunus added that tournament player registration processes have not yet reached the PSSI Secretary General office. This means there is no official ground to conclude Ridho has been removed from the squad.

"To this date, no coach has submitted any list of names for the FIFA ASEAN Cup squad," Yunus added.

This statement refutes claims that Herdman has already finalized which players will be excluded from the tournament. PSSI remains waiting for official submission from the coaching staff before any squad names can be confirmed.

This situation also means Ridho still retains an open chance to represent the Indonesia National Team.

Ridho Was Regular Starter At 2026 AFF Cup

Speculation over Ridho being dropped emerged after his performances for Indonesia at the 2026 AFF Cup drew public scrutiny.

Ropan had argued the centre-back should be rested from upcoming fixtures, following Indonesia's failure to qualify for the semi-finals after finishing third in the group stage.

He specifically highlighted Ridho's performances during Indonesia's 0-3 defeat to Vietnam and 1-1 draw against Singapore.

Despite the criticism, Ridho remained one of the most frequently fielded players for Indonesia throughout the tournament. He only missed one out of four matches, sitting out the second group fixture against Timor Leste.

Ridho played the full 90 minutes in all three other matches he featured in.

These appearances bring his total senior national team caps to 54, since making his international debut in May 2021 under former coach Shin Tae-yong, in a friendly match against Oman.

2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup Preparations

Indonesia will act as host for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. The Garuda squad are placed in Main Division Group A alongside Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh - who have replaced India in the tournament lineup.

Group B consists of Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines.

This tournament is a key priority agenda for Indonesia under John Herdman's leadership. As such, the final squad selection has drawn massive public attention, including ongoing discussion about Ridho's status.

As host nation, Indonesia has prepared Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium Jakarta and Si Jalak Harupat Stadium Bandung as official match venues.

With no official squad list yet submitted by Herdman, reports of Rizky Ridho being dropped can currently only be confirmed as unsubstantiated rumor.