2026 President's Cup schedule clashes with the 2026 AFF Cup, here is Erick Thohir's response.

Indonesia's football calendar will enter a congested fixture period from late July through August 2026. Two tournaments, the 2026 President's Cup and the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup (also known as the ASEAN Cup), will run almost concurrently, creating potential disruption to the readiness of players who represent both their domestic clubs and the Indonesia National Team.

PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir framed this situation as a positive challenge, provided that player physical conditioning management remains an absolute priority. He explained that the high volume of matches will grant players additional competitive experience, while also allowing clubs to build preparation ahead of the new official season.

The 2026 President's Cup is scheduled for 25 July to 6 August, while the longer 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup will run from 24 July through 26 August. Due to this overlapping timetable, selected players face an extremely dense workload if called up for national team duty.

"At PSSI we view more match time as beneficial for the development of both clubs and players. That said, we will strictly monitor and enforce proper maximum recovery allowances for every individual athlete," Erick stated.

This 8th edition of the President's Cup will feature 8 participating teams. Five are domestic Indonesian clubs: Persib Bandung, Arema FC, Persija Jakarta, Persebaya Surabaya, and PSMS Medan.

The remaining three entries are international Southeast Asian sides: Singapore's Tampines Rovers, Brunei Darussalam's DPMM FC, and Thailand's Port FC. Their inclusion is intended to raise tournament competitiveness, as well as provide high-quality pre-season preparation before official domestic fixtures commence.

Parallel to the President's Cup, the Indonesia National Team will compete in the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup. The Garuda squad is drawn into Group A alongside Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Timor Leste.

Indonesia will open their campaign at home against Cambodia at Bogor's Pakansari Stadium on 27 July. They will then travel for an away fixture against Timor Leste on 31 July, return to host Vietnam on 3 August, and conclude the group stage with an away match against Singapore on 7 August.

Despite the schedule conflict, Erick confirmed that PSSI, domestic clubs, and the league operator have conducted advance coordination to align the needs of both club football and the national team program.

"For this AFF tournament, all clubs and the league administration agreed from the very start that domestic league operations and national team duties must operate in harmony. This is why the national squad has already begun their official training camp," he explained.

Erick also reaffirmed the President's Cup remains a critical tournament for participating sides, acting as a test bed for squad formations, tactical systems, and player fitness ahead of the 2026/2027 official domestic season.

"Both national team players and domestic clubs are already building preparation for the upcoming league. This run of fixtures will be an invaluable opportunity for every side to refine their teams," he concluded.

This packed national football schedule across late July and August will serve as a major test for club management, coaching staff, and PSSI to balance domestic competition requirements with the Indonesia National Team's performance targets at the Southeast Asian level.

Effective player rotation management and physical recovery protocols are expected to be the decisive factor throughout both tournaments.