These days, Maarten Paes needs security on the streets of Jakarta. The FC Dallas goalkeeper, who lives in relative anonymity in Texas, can’t really go anywhere when he’s 10,000 miles away. And for good reason. Paes is something of a local hero in those parts, the starting keeper for a rapidly improving Indonesian national side, and great hope of an entire country as it pushes for the most unlikely of World Cup bids.
But perhaps more importantly, he is wearing the Indonesia shirt as a tribute to his roots.
“I was going to a new culture, but you have to be really willing to invest time to adapt and learn the culture where you throw yourself into. So it’s been amazing, to be honest. And I think from doing that, you become a wiser person,” Paes told GOAL.
The first thing you need to know about Paes is that he is Dutch by birth, has a Dutch accent, and has spent most of his life in the Netherlands. He didn’t move to another country until the age of 24, when he switched the Eredivisie for Major League Soccer. But behind the man is a rich understanding of Indonesian culture, and dual-national eligibility from his grandmother. Paes doesn’t necessarily feel Indonesian, he said, but wearing the badge of the nation on his shirt is a source of immense pride.
There are a lot of dual-national stories that come from necessity or lack of opportunity elsewhere. It is not uncommon for top tier players to squeeze eligibility out of other countries due to their desire to play international football – despite having no real connection to the nation they represent on the pitch. For Paes, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Paes grew up very close to his Grandmother. She was born in East Java in 1940, and spent her early years in Indonesia, then named the Dutch East Indies. Like thousands of Indonesians, she moved to the Netherlands in the 1940s. It was a violent time back home when she fled to Europe. Japan invaded and conquered the what is now Indonesia in 1942. As many as 10 million Indonesians were recruited as forced laborers during Japanese occupation. The Netherlands was a natural escape route, given the remaining colonial connections between the two nations. Paes spent much of his childhood hearing stories of the time.
“We spent so much time during high school talking about the beautiful things of Indonesia and then the sad things of the war, and about her boat trips back and forth from Indonesia to Holland,” Paes said.
Some of the memories were sad.
“We started to talk about also the war history and with Japan and all that stuff. And she lost her mother there, so it was a sensitive subject,” Paes said.
But most of his memories are happy. Paes would visit his grandparents’ house and spend the weekend. There, he would eat Indonesian food and immerse himself in the culture from afar.
“When we were eating chicken, she would call it ‘Ayam.’ It’s always been my favorite food in the world,” Paes said.
Over time, that cultural experience became relevant on the pitch. Paes represented the Netherlands at various youth levels, and was capped for the Under 21s. He had known for years that he was eligible to play for Indonesia’s senior side, but never really considered it an option. That was, until late 2023. The Indonesian football federation approached him and inquired about his national team availability.
His grandmother’s health was declining rapidly at the time – and Paes jumped at the opportunity. He started the process to become an Indonesian citizen, something that was sealed by April 2024. But it wasn’t exactly a smooth process. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed international football, which meant that Paes represented the Netherlands U21 team as a 22-year-old. Due to paperwork issues, he had to go all the way up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to secure his eligibility. On Aug. 18, 2024, Paes officially became available for selection for Indonesia.
But those technicalities stretched out the process. Paes’ grandmother was in hospice care. And although he was able to travel to see her in the Netherlands thanks to his U.S. green card, she passed away before he ever donned the shirt of the national team.
“That was tough,” Paes admitted. “Luckily I could spend some time with her, so that was great.”
Still, when his eligibility was announced, Paes achieved overnight fame. He now has 2.3 million Instagram followers. He finished in the top in the fan vote for MLS All-Stars – something that can at least partially be attributed to the millions of enthusiastic fans, along with his 118 saves over the course of the campaign.
More broadly, Paes has performed for his team. He was named Man of the Match in his Indonesia debut. They tallied two important draws against Australia and Saudi Arabia in his first two appearances. Up next are two potentially massive World Cup qualifiers. A team, currently ranked 127th in the World, Indonesia a clear path to qualifying for an expanded 48-team World Cup on U.S. soil. There is a buzz on the streets of Jakarta. This thing might just happen.
“Of course, the travel from the US is very far, but we have a real shot to get to the World Cup,” Paes said. “It’s been amazing, playing for 85,000 people.”
Reinforcements have arrived. The Indonesian football federation made the controversial choice to replace South Korean manager Shin Tae-Yong with European legend Patrick Kluivert, who will take charge ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March. For Paes, it was a difficult transition. Shin gave him his start for Indonesia, and entrusted him with the gloves.
“I have been in a lot of situations at football clubs where coaches were switched, and it’s always hard, but you’re really thankful for what they’ve done for you. But then there’s a new chapter,” Paes admitted.
Still, Kluivert has managed at the international level before. He has the Dutch connection, not to mention 124 goals for Barcelona and a La Liga title to his name.
So, Paes has his chance on an international stage. In 12 months, he has gone from the relative calm of MLS to fame in Indonesia. And what seems to be an odd cultural mix now stands as a tribute to someone – every time he dons his new found nation’s jersey.
“You just become a better person from being there, because they are so unbelievably kind. They welcomed me from the start,” Paes said.