FIFA and the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) have strengthened their collaboration to improve football safety and security across the nation. A key milestone in this effort was a joint workshop held in Jakarta, focused on aligning the country’s football infrastructure with international safety and security standards. The FIFA-PSSI Indonesia Stadium Safety & Security Capacity Building Workshop took place between 24 and 26 March 2025 at Mandiri University under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FIFA and PSSI. The MoU – which also related to the opening of the FIFA Jakarta Office in November 2023 – was a direct response to the Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster in East Java in October 2022, in which 135 people lost their lives.

The Government of Indonesia has since renovated 21 stadiums, 17 of which were inaugurated by Indonesia’s President, Prabowo Subianto in March 2025. The FIFA-PSSI Workshop served as a follow-up to confirm that all aspects of stadium management in Indonesia follow global best practices. As part of this collaboration, FIFA conducted a comprehensive feasibility study of these 21 stadiums across Indonesia last year, which resulted in a report and recommendations aimed at guiding the country in raising its stadium safety and security standards to meet international benchmarks. Beyond physical upgrades, the core objective is to ensure that every football fan attending a match can do so with the assurance of returning home safely – a fundamental right that underscores the essence of safer stadiums.

"This is a significant event, and we extend our gratitude to FIFA for supporting the development of human resources in Indonesian football," said PSSI President Erick Thohir. "This workshop is our joint effort to ensure safety, security, and service not only for players and officials but, most importantly, for the supporters – the football lovers of Indonesia. This is our effort in creating stadium environments where supporters can attend matches with peace of mind, knowing they will return home safely to their families." Representatives from the Ministry of Public Works, planning architects, league officials, clubs and stadium management teams were among the 130 participants in attendance. They heard from global experts including FIFA Consultant Ben Veenbrink of The Stadium Consultancy, Hidde Salverda, Director of Operations at the Johan Cruijff Arena, Ken Scott MBE, the Head of Inspectorate, Sports Ground Safety Authority and Brian Johnson, the AFC's Head of Safety, Security & Access Control, as well as FIFA Regional Office Development Manager Lavin Vignesh and Adi Nugroho, PSSI Director of Infrastructure Safety and Security.

Key themes discussed covered stadium infrastructure and design, licensing and certification, matchday and event safety management, stadium maintenance and commercialisation, and multi-use strategy, as part of a wider commitment to safer football. "Football is not just about the game on the pitch. It is about creating an environment where players, officials and, most importantly, the fans can feel safe and enjoy the sport with confidence," said Mr Thohir. "This is our collective responsibility."