President Prabowo Subianto Meets FIFA President at Presidential Palace

FIFA President Gianni Infantino Monday (10/05) arrived at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta to meet with President Prabowo Subianto.

Ahead of the meeting, Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir described it as a reunion between two friends who had met on several previous international occasions.

“Yes, FIFA President Gianni Infantjno will meet President Prabowo Subianto. As we know, Gianni has visited Indonesia nearly four times, beginning when we hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and now for the FIFA ASEAN Cup,” Erick stated.

Erick added that the President and Gianni Infantino had previously met in New York and Paris. He said this meeting would build on their ongoing communication.

Erick also said that Gianni Infantino expressed his appreciation for the development of football in ASEAN and the staging of the FIFA ASEAN Cup in Indonesia.

“So far, the tournament has been a tremendous success, bringing together the entire ASEAN region. Indonesia has proven to be an outstanding host for ASEAN’s best teams,” Infantino stated.

Gianni Infantino also said enthusiasm for football across ASEAN was immense. He noted that the quality of matches continued to improve, citing strong stadium attendance and the competitive nature of the games.

“Football is truly alive in this region. The passion for the game is immense, the standard of play is excellent, and fans are coming to the stadiums,” he added.

Gianni Infantino also expressed his delight at returning to Indonesia and taking part in the FIFA tournament hosted here. He described the FIFA ASEAN Cup as an important competition and expressed hope that it would pave the way for future editions.

“I am delighted to be back in Indonesia and very happy to be hosting another FIFA event here. This is not the first, but it is a very important one,” he stated.

“This is the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, and I hope it will be the first of many editions to come. I am also pleased to meet again with President Prabowo again, who also loves football and loves his country,” he concluded.

The meeting at the presidential palace built on ongoing communication between President Prabowo Subianto and Gianni Infantino, reflecting their shared interest in developing football in Indonesia and across ASEAN. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (NST/MEP)