The grand stage of the 2026 World Cup has officially closed, leaving behind various historical records, drama on the pitch, and a shift in global football power. This quadrennial tournament proves that the dominance of the world's most popular sport is no longer a monopoly of traditional countries from Europe and Latin America alone.
A number of small-population countries such as Cape Verde and Curaçao, as well as Asian representation like Japan, successfully stole the spotlight with their impressive performances. Curaçao made history by scoring against a giant team holding four world titles, while Cape Verde managed to trouble Argentina until extra time. This phenomenon shows a leveling of tactical quality, physicality, and coaching expertise at the global level.
Among these surprise teams, Japan emerged as a new barometer of modern football, dubbed "The Giant Killer." Japan's success in troubling established teams like Brazil was not an instant result, but the fruit of meticulous long-term planning engineered by the Japan Football Association (JFA) through a program titled "JFA 100-Year Vision."
This strategic program integrates disciplined youth development starting from school, the utilization of sports science, and the professional management of domestic competitions. In addition, the JFA also actively facilitates promising young players to play in top European leagues to increase their playing time and competitive mentality.
The success of these countries sends an important message for the development of regional football, especially for Maluku, which is known as one of the national football talent hubs. It is time for local football stakeholders to move away from relying solely on natural talent towards structured, systematic, and sustainable development in order to restore the glory of Maluku football on the national stage.
