Indonesia Naturalizes Paes and Romeny: FIFA Signs First, Public Opinion Signs Later

In August 2026, when FIFA approved Maarten Paes's federation transfer request, I was sitting in a small coffee shop on Nguyen Thien Thuat Street in Nha Trang, replaying the Indonesia versus Vietnam match from the second round of 2026 World Cup qualifying. On screen, Indonesia's defense played long balls, the goalmouth as empty as a house without a door. On my phone, a status update from a sports journalist friend in Jakarta appeared with exactly three words: "Paes is done."

That was not transfer news. It was a political declaration.

No transfer fee. No release clause. No agent demanding commission. Just a FIFA signature, a DPR decision — Indonesia's House of Representatives — and a goalkeeper born in 2026 in the Netherlands, whose grandmother was born in the Dutch East Indies, a colonial territory no longer on any map.

Six months later, in February 2026, Ole Romeny swore his oath of Indonesian citizenship. A striker born in the Netherlands, raised in the youth systems of NEC Nijmegen and FC Utrecht, now wearing the red and white of the Garuda.

Two players. Two positions. Goalkeeper and striker. The spine of a team.

And this is what I want to say from the outset, before anyone can start typing a rebuttal:

Indonesia did nothing illegal. They simply did what Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines could all do — but only Indonesia has enough historical raw material to do at this scale.

This story is not about ethics. It is about logistics. It is about one football federation reading FIFA's rules more carefully than its rivals.

And I bet myself that the hottest twist is the truth: what Indonesian media calls a "legal loophole" is actually a deliberately designed provision, sitting inside regulations that FIFA itself wrote.

Enough. Let's get to work.

CONTEXT: THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATURALIZATION WAVE

To understand why Paes and Romeny matter so much, we need to step back and look at the bigger picture of Southeast Asian football.

Over the past two decades, the region has witnessed at least three different naturalization waves.

The first wave began with the Philippines in the early 2000s. The Philippine Football Federation — PFF — realized the country had a massive overseas community, particularly in the United States, thanks to migration history and colonial ties with Washington. Players like Phil Younghusband, James Younghusband, and later Neil Etheridge, Stephan Schröck, all had a Filipino mother or father. They grew up in Europe, were professionally trained, and when they returned to wear the national team shirt, they lifted the squad's quality by a notch.

The second wave came from Malaysia in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Malaysia had communities of Malaysian descent in the UK, Australia, and especially in the states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo — where the population is multi-ethnic with many people of Indonesian, Filipino, and Chinese descent. Players like Matthew Davies, Brendan Gan, and later Dion Cools all followed similar paths.

The third wave is happening right now, and Indonesia is leading it.

But there is a core difference between Indonesia and the other two.

The Philippines and Malaysia have relatively large overseas communities, but most of them are migrant workers or second- and third-generation expatriates. Indonesia is different. Indonesia has something no country in the region possesses: a heritage community tied to Dutch colonial history — the "Indo" or "blijvers" community.

The Dutch East Indies — Nederlandsch-Indië — was a Dutch colony from the early 17th century until 2026. Throughout that period, there was a continuous flow of Dutch settlers to the archipelago, intermarrying with locals, having children, and creating a Eurasian mixed class known as "Indische Nederlanders" or Indo people.

After Indonesia gained independence in 2026, most of these Indo people migrated to the Netherlands. They and their descendants now live scattered across Europe, especially in the Netherlands, with ancestors born on Indonesian soil.

This is the key point: they have European blood, but their grandparents were born on Indonesian territory.

Under Indonesian citizenship law, a person can naturalize if they have a blood relationship with an Indonesian citizen. And under FIFA regulations, a player can represent the federation where their grandparent was born.

These two provisions, combined, open a path that no country in the region can replicate at scale.

Vietnam has an overseas community of about 5 million, but most are ethnic Vietnamese who migrated after 2026. They can naturalize easily, but Vietnamese football has never had a prominent wave of overseas Vietnamese players at the national level — aside from a few cases like Mac Hong Quan, Nguyen Filip, or Jason Pendant.

Thailand has Thai communities abroad, but no colonial tie to Europe. They must rely on naturalizing foreigners who have lived in Thailand for years — a longer and less attractive path.

Indonesia is different. They have a diaspora with European blood, high-level football training, and grandparents born on Indonesian soil. This is a structural advantage no ASEAN nation can fully replicate.

And PSSI recognized it.

GATE ONE: INDONESIAN CITIZENSHIP LAW

When people talk about naturalization, most only think of football law. They forget that two parallel legal systems must be satisfied.

The first system is the citizenship law of the country the player wants to represent.

In Indonesia, the naturalization path for diaspora players is governed by Law No. 12 of 2026 on Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia. Article 20 of this law allows a foreign national to naturalize if they meet certain conditions — including having a blood relationship with an Indonesian citizen, or making a special contribution to the country.

But there is an important detail: naturalization for "state interest" cases must be approved by the House of Representatives — the DPR.

This is not a simple administrative procedure. It is a political process.

Indonesia's House has 580 members from various parties. Every time PSSI wants to naturalize a player, it must submit the file to the DPR, persuade the relevant committees, and ultimately hold a vote.

This process can take months. And it requires a significant political network.

For Maarten Paes, PSSI began this process very early. According to Indonesian media reports, the federation pursued Paes's case "persistently" over a long period, working with government agencies and parliamentary committees to ensure the file was approved.

The same process unfolded for Ole Romeny, who swore his citizenship oath in February 2026.

Here is what many overlook: the real cost of a naturalization is not a transfer fee — it is political capital.

PSSI invested time, effort, and its own credibility in persuading the House that these players deserved to wear the national team shirt.

And they succeeded. But that success was not free.

Another point worth noting: under Indonesian law, those who naturalize through this route typically must renounce their original citizenship. Indonesia does not permit dual citizenship in most cases. This means Paes and Romeny had to give up their Dutch citizenship to become Indonesian citizens.

That is a big decision. It is not just an administrative procedure — it is a commitment of identity.

GATE TWO: FIFA RGAS AND THE "SUBSTANTIAL CONNECTION" CRITERION

The second legal system is FIFA's regulations.

Specifically, this is the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes, abbreviated as RGAS.

Within RGAS, there is an important provision stating that a player can represent a national federation if that player has a "substantial connection" to the country. This connection can be established through several factors, including:

• The player was born on the territory of that federation
• The player's father or mother was born on that territory
• The player's grandfather or grandmother was born on that territory

For Paes and Romeny, both satisfy the final criterion: they have grandparents born on Indonesian territory.

Paes has a grandmother born in the Dutch East Indies. Romeny has grandparents born in Indonesia.

Under RGAS, this is sufficient. There is no requirement for "indigenous blood" — whatever that means. No requirement to speak Indonesian. No requirement to live in Indonesia.

Just one grandparent born on the federation's territory.

This is what I call FIFA's "heritage provision." It was designed to let countries with large diaspora communities — European, African, and Asian nations — call up players with roots in their country, even if those players have lived abroad for generations.

For countries like France, Portugal, England, or the Netherlands, this provision is a way to maintain competitive advantage. They can call up players of African, Caribbean, or Asian descent — trained at the highest level — without waiting for the standard naturalization process.

But for countries like Indonesia, this provision opens an opportunity in the opposite direction. Indonesia is not a football power that can "attract" players from around the world. But Indonesia has a diaspora in Europe with a football level far higher than at home.

And FIFA allows them to tap that community.

Is this fair? That is another question. But legally, it is entirely valid.

And here is the point I want to emphasize:

The provision that Indonesian media calls a "legal loophole" is actually a deliberately designed article. It is not a bug in the system. It is the system.

If FIFA wanted to prevent cases like Paes and Romeny, they could have amended RGAS long ago. They did not. And until they do, any country with enough historical raw material can exploit this provision.

THE PAES CASE: THE NARROWEST FILE

Of the two cases, Maarten Paes is the more legally complex.

The reason is simple: Paes had already represented the Netherlands at youth level.

Born in 2026, Paes grew up in the youth systems of NEC Nijmegen and later FC Utrecht. He wore the Netherlands U19, U20, and U21 shirts between 2026 and 2026.

This creates a legal issue. Under FIFA regulations, a player who has represented one federation at youth level can still switch to represent another — but only under very specific conditions.

Specifically, that player must:

• Never have played for the senior national team of the old federation
• Have a substantial connection to the new federation (through birthplace, parents, or grandparents)
• Be requested by the new federation to switch
• And most importantly: the switch must be approved by FIFA

Paes meets all these conditions. He never played for the Netherlands senior team. He has a grandmother born in the Dutch East Indies. PSSI filed the federation transfer request for him.

And in August 2026, FIFA approved it.

But the process was not simple. According to reports, PSSI had to work with FIFA for months, providing documentation of Paes's lineage, and convincing world football's governing body that he met the criteria.

There is one detail I want to emphasize: Paes played for the Netherlands U21 team at age 22. At that age, many players are on the fringe of the senior national team. That he was never called up to the Netherlands senior squad was a crucial factor in his ability to switch to Indonesia.

If Paes had played even one minute for the Netherlands senior team, the path to Indonesia would have closed forever.

This is a very subtle point in FIFA law. And it is also a potential risk for Indonesia: if any documentation of Paes's lineage were disputed, or if FIFA changed its interpretation of the regulations, his case could be reviewed.

But so far, everything is valid.

THE ROMENY CASE: LESS CONTROVERSIAL

Ole Romeny was born in the Netherlands and raised in the youth systems of NEC Nijmegen and FC Utrecht. He is a striker, playing as a centre-forward or winger.

Unlike Paes, Romeny never represented the Netherlands at any youth level. This makes his case less legally complex.

Romeny has grandparents born in Indonesia. This is enough for him to establish a "substantial connection" to Indonesia under FIFA regulations.

In February 2026, Romeny formally swore his Indonesian citizenship oath. He became an Indonesian citizen and could represent the national team immediately.

This is a "cleaner" deal legally. No federation transfer issue, no concern about having represented another country, no timing dispute.

But that does not mean it is less strategically important.

Romeny is a young striker, born in 2026, with development potential. He can play multiple attacking positions, has pace, has finishing ability, and most importantly — he could be the missing piece in Indonesia's attack.

For years, Indonesia struggled to find a top-class striker. Domestic players like Ilija Spasojević or Beto Gonçalves made their contributions, but none reached the level of a European striker.

Romeny changes that.

And here is the key point: in modern football, goalkeeper and striker are the two positions with the greatest leverage on match results.

A good goalkeeper can save a team 10-15 points per season. A good striker can score 15-20 goals per season.

Indonesia did not naturalize players in wide or defensive midfield roles. They naturalized exactly the two most important positions in the team.

That is not coincidence. That is strategy.

IMPACT ON VIETNAM: WHAT NO ONE WANTS TO SAY

This is the section I want to spend the most time on.

When writing about Indonesia, many Vietnamese football fans react in two ways. One is anxiety: "Indonesia is getting stronger, Vietnam will struggle more." Two is denial: "What's good about naturalization, where is national identity?"

Both are emotional reactions. And neither helps.

The first thing to acknowledge: Indonesia is building a stronger team in terms of quality. This is an undeniable fact. Paes is a goalkeeper who has played in the Eredivisie and for FC Dallas in MLS. Romeny has played in the Eredivisie and has development potential.

Add to that other naturalized players like Thom Haye, Calvin Verdonk, or Shayne Pattynama. This is a generation of Europe-trained players with a professional level far above the Southeast Asian football baseline.

The second thing to acknowledge: Vietnam does not have the same historical raw material advantage. Vietnam does not have a diaspora with European blood and grandparents born on Vietnamese territory. The overseas Vietnamese community is mostly ethnic Vietnamese, and the number of high-level overseas Vietnamese players is limited.

The third thing to acknowledge: this does not mean Vietnam cannot compete. Vietnam has its own advantages — team cohesion, an improving youth development system, and a growing domestic league.

But Vietnam needs to understand the new competitive landscape.

So what should Vietnam do?

This is where I want to speak plainly.

First, Vietnam must closely monitor Indonesia's next steps. Paes and Romeny are not the last cases. PSSI is pursuing a long-term strategy to build the national team around diaspora players.

Second, Vietnam must accelerate its scouting and call-up of overseas Vietnamese players. Nguyen Filip is a success story — a goalkeeper born in the Czech Republic, with Vietnamese parents, who chose to wear Vietnam's national team shirt.

Third, Vietnam must improve its youth development system. This is the more sustainable path, but also the slower one. While Indonesia can "import" players from Europe, Vietnam must "produce" its own.

And fourth, Vietnam must prepare for a future in which Southeast Asian teams are increasingly competitive in quality. Vietnam's regional dominance — if it exists — will not be as easy as before.

This is not bad news. This is reality. And countries that adapt will be the ones that succeed.

THE "LEGAL LOOPHOLE" TRAP

Now, to the part I want to spend on what I believe is public opinion's blind spot.

Indonesian media — and some Vietnamese fans — are calling the Paes and Romeny cases a FIFA "legal loophole." They argue that the provision allowing a player to represent a country if they have a grandparent born there is a system error, a gap that countries can exploit.

I believe this view is technically wrong.

This provision is not an error. It is a deliberately designed article, and it has existed for decades. It was designed to serve European countries with large diaspora communities — France, Portugal, England, the Netherlands, Germany.

France used this provision to call up players like Kylian Mbappé (Cameroonian and Algerian descent), Raphael Varane (Martinique descent), or Patrice Evra (Guinean descent). Portugal used it to call up Eusébio, Rui Costa, and many players of African descent. England used it to call up players like Raheem Sterling (Jamaican descent).

This provision is not a "loophole" — it is part of a system designed to allow countries to maintain connections with their diaspora communities.

If FIFA wanted to prevent cases like Paes and Romeny, they could have amended the regulations. They did not. And until they do, any country with enough historical raw material can exploit this provision.

The truth is: international football does not rest on "indigenous blood." It rests on citizenship.

This is the point I want to emphasize. In modern football, a player represents a country not because they have that country's "blood." They represent because they hold that country's citizenship.

And citizenship is a legal concept, not a biological one.

Paes and Romeny are Indonesian citizens. They have the right to represent Indonesia. That is not a legal loophole — that is the law.

WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS...

When the lights go out, I find heroes where no one looks.

In this story, the "heroes" are not Paes or Romeny. They are PSSI's lawyers, who read FIFA regulations carefully and found a legal path. They are the federation officials who persuaded Indonesia's House to approve the naturalization cases.

They do not appear in newspapers. They are not named in tactical articles. But they are the ones who changed the landscape of Southeast Asian football.

And this is the lesson for Vietnam.

Not a lesson about naturalization. But a lesson about reading the law.

In modern football, competitive advantage does not come only from how much money you have, or how much talent you have. It comes from how well you understand the rules of the game.

Indonesia understands the rules. They found a path no one else in the region can replicate. And they are exploiting it thoroughly.

What can Vietnam learn from this?

The answer is not "naturalize more." Vietnam does not have the raw material to do that at scale.

The answer is: understand the rules of your own game.

Vietnam has its own advantages: a growing domestic league, an improving youth development system, a generation of talented players like Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Tien Linh, or Doan Van Hau. And Vietnam has a diaspora with players like Nguyen Filip.

These advantages cannot be easily replicated, but they also do not automatically translate into success. They need to be exploited strategically.

And that requires a long-term vision.

So the question is:

Is VFF ready to invest in systematically scouting and calling up overseas Vietnamese players? Is Vietnam ready to compete with Indonesia in a race where the opponent has a structural advantage? Is Vietnamese football ready to admit that its regional dominance is being challenged?

These are questions I do not have answers to. But I know these questions will shape the future of Vietnamese football in the years to come.

And amid an empty stadium, the market speaks louder than the cheers.