Indonesia has climbed to fourth place in Asia in the AFC’s latest men’s club competition points ranking for the 2026/2027 season, placing second in the East Zone behind Japan and ahead of China, South Korea and Australia, according to the confederation’s updated table released Oct. 30, VIVA reported.

The Men’s Club Competitions MA Points (Single Season) ranking, updated by the Asian Football Confederation on Friday at 08:48, credits Indonesia with 7.500 points — enough to sit above China at 7.222 and South Korea at 5.283, and to make Indonesia the highest-ranked Southeast Asian country in this season’s standings.

Japan Still Leads as Indonesia Passes China and Korea

Japan tops the overall table with 9.817 points, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 8.333 and Saudi Arabia at 8.078, one spot ahead of Indonesia, VIVA reported. Counting only East Zone nations, Indonesia sits second behind Japan, ahead of China, South Korea, Australia and the rest of Southeast Asia.

The jump is not tied to the national team’s World Cup qualifying campaign; it comes from club competition points accumulated by Indonesia’s two representatives in Asian tournaments this season, VIVA reported.

Persib’s Three Wins Drive the Rise

Persib Bandung has won three straight Group E matches in the AFC Champions League Two 2026/2027, collecting nine points without conceding a goal. The run includes a 1-0 away win over FC Seoul in South Korea, a 1-0 victory over Vietnam’s The Cong-Viettel FC, and a 2-0 home win over Australia’s Melbourne Victory on Oct. 28 at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, VIVA reported.

Balsa Sekulic scored both goals against Melbourne Victory, in the 47th and 67th minutes, and afterward credited his teammates for the assists, singling out Berguinho and defender Danijel Loncar, ILeague reported. Sekulic also said the team was taking the competition match by match, per the same report.

Persib now leads Group E with nine points from three matches. Melbourne Victory sits second with four, FC Seoul third with three and The Cong-Viettel fourth with one, CNN Indonesia reported.

Before the Melbourne win, Persib defender Julio Cesar said the team, as group leader with six points from two games, needed to win at home to strengthen its position, warning that the group was difficult, BeritaSatu reported. Head coach Igor Tolic, meanwhile, praised his players’ professionalism during a congested schedule, saying they had followed his instructions and worked hard day to day, Warta Ekonomi reported.

Borneo FC Adds Points in the Challenge League

Borneo FC Samarinda, Indonesia’s other representative, is playing in the AFC Challenge League 2026/2027 and has won both of its Group D matches, securing a quarterfinal berth, VIVA reported. Together, the two clubs’ results account for Indonesia’s points total in the confederation ranking.

One Win From the Round of 16

With three group matches remaining, Persib can reach the Round of 16 with a single victory; alternatively, two draws would bring the team to 11 points and a safe qualifying position, CNN Indonesia reported. A win in matchday four against Melbourne Victory in Melbourne would clinch a knockout spot outright.

The ACL Two format splits clubs into West and East zones, which do not meet until the semifinals; only finalists from each zone face each other, CNN Indonesia noted.

Questions a Reader Might Ask

What exactly are these AFC points? They are the Men’s Club Competitions MA Points for a single season, a confederation ranking that credits countries based on their clubs’ results in AFC tournaments, as released by the AFC on Oct. 30.

Where does Indonesia stand regionally? Indonesia is the highest-ranked Southeast Asian nation in the current table with 7.500 points, and second in the East Zone behind Japan.

What does Persib need to advance? One win from its three remaining Group E matches, or two draws, would be enough to reach the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Two, according to CNN Indonesia.

What remains unresolved is whether Persib can convert its nine-point group lead into a knockout-stage berth — and with it, additional points that could push Indonesia higher still in the AFC ranking.