Three Melbourne City Players at U-17 Asian Cup – Baker Stays Longest

Melbourne City sent three young players to the 2025 U-17 Asian Cup taking place in Saudi Arabia — Jonty Benfield, Isiah Boston, and Mathew Baker.

The first two players represented Australia’s U-17 national team, while Baker played for Indonesia’s U-17 squad. Their tournament journeys yielded different outcomes — the Young Socceroos were eliminated early.

Australia, coached by Brad Maloney, had to settle for third place in Group B with four points. This result contrasts with their performance in the qualifiers six months ago, when they met Indonesia in Group G — both teams played to a 0-0 draw and advanced to the final round.

While Benfield and Boston saw their campaign end in the group stage, Baker continued his run with Indonesia, who reached the quarter-finals and qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, marking a historic achievement for the Garuda Muda squad.