Australia, IR Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Korea Republic will have the honour of representing the Asian Football Confederation at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. But the continent’s first foray on the global stage did not begin with one of these present day continental powerhouses.

The Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, holds the accolade of being Asia’s first World Cup team, fielding a side that consisted of both Dutch and native Indonesian players. Travelling to France 1938, a journey that took weeks to complete, they met eventual finalists Hungary in the first round in Reims. This is their story.

The above footage is part of FIFA’s archive of videos highlighting significant stories in FIFA World Cup history