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BENGKALIS - The world’s biggest football tournament is just days away, and fans across the globe are gearing up to celebrate the grand event. Football enthusiasts are preparing jerseys, supporting their favourite national teams, and planning their schedules to watch the upcoming matches.

Most football fans traditionally enjoy the World Cup, held every four years, by watching live audio-visual broadcasts of their favourite teams in action.

However, MH Mardani, a football fan from Bengkalis, has chosen a different approach this time. Instead of watching live television broadcasts of his favourite team, he plans to follow the 2026 FIFA World Cup through radio commentary only.

“We plan to follow the World Cup matches through radio broadcasts. I heard that RRI Radio will air them,” he explained.

The avid radio listener, known as Hani, said he had heard several RRI advertisements stating that some World Cup matches would be broadcast live via radio audio.

According to Hani, who works as a civil servant in the Bengkalis Government, not all matches will be aired on radio. Only selected games will be broadcast, so he is waiting to find out which matches will be available.

“If RRI doesn’t air certain matches, I’ll look for other radio stations that might provide audio coverage of the World Cup,” he added.

Hani shared that he often enjoys football matches via radio, especially when the Indonesian National Team plays. He believes that listening to matches through radio offers a stronger emotional experience.

“We prefer listening to the matches rather than watching them visually. Audio broadcasts allow better concentration and immersion in the game — it feels different compared to watching on TV,” he said.

To enjoy the upcoming World Cup audio broadcasts, Hani has already prepared a conventional radio set at home. When travelling or outside, he plans to use mobile radio applications to tune in.

Hani has been a fan of the German National Team since the 1986 World Cup. He admires the “Panzer Team” for their resilience — they often start slow but always manage to rise under pressure.

“The spirit of the Panzer Team is something we can learn from. They’re disciplined, consistent, and always find a way to endure in every match,” he explained.

Despite his long-time admiration for Germany, Hani is not backing the team for the 2026 World Cup. He believes the current German squad lacks pure strikers and notes that one of his favourite players, Robert Andrich from Bayer Leverkusen, was not called up for the tournament. “Andrich is an excellent defensive midfielder, so it’s a pity he’s not in the squad,” he added.

For this World Cup, Hani is placing his hopes on the Japan National Team. He said Japan’s recent performances have been impressive, and their teamwork has improved significantly compared to past tournaments. Interestingly, he noted that their playing philosophy now closely resembles Germany’s style.

“Many Japanese players now play in the German league, so they might have adopted some of Germany’s playing patterns. That’s probably why their national team’s style looks quite similar,” he remarked.

Hani added that if Japan maintains their current form, they could go far and possibly win the World Cup. His favourite player in the Japan National Team is Takumi Minamino, a defensive midfielder who currently plays for AS Monaco.

(Muhammad Natsir)