Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  Indonesia suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat to Bulgaria in the FIFA Series 2026 final on Monday (30/3/2026) despite controlling possession throughout the match at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium.

"Bulgaria played a very disciplined low block that made it difficult for us to break into the final third," noted Indonesia's head coach John Herdman during the post-match press conference. as reported by antaranews.com

The decisive moment arrived in the 38th minute when Marin Petkov converted a penalty following a VAR-confirmed foul by Kevin Diks on Zdravko Dimitrov. Although Emil Audero guessed the direction, the 22-year-old midfielder’s strike found the back of the net to give the European side the lead before the interval.

Indonesia intensified their attack in the second half, with substitutes Eliano Reijnders and Elkan Baggott providing fresh momentum. Despite Ole Romeny and Rizky Ridho both rattling the crossbar in the closing stages, Bulgaria’s pragmatic defensive setup held firm until the final whistle.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)