BANDUNG – A heartwarming piece of news has come from the defensive line of Persib Bandung and the Iraq National Football Team. Their key defender, Frans Putros, has just been blessed with a baby boy while fulfilling his national duty.

The touching moment was captured in a video released by the official Instagram account of the Iraq National Team on 16 June 2026, showing a strong sense of camaraderie within the squad.

Inside a meeting room, all players and coaching staff were seen gathered together. Iraq’s head coach, Graham Arnold, suddenly entered carrying a bouquet of flowers and called for everyone’s attention.

Arnold then announced that it was a very special and joyous day for Frans Putros.

The defender immediately stepped forward to receive the congratulatory gesture from his coach. When Arnold asked about the baby’s gender, Putros, with a bright and happy face, shared the news of his son’s birth.

“A baby boy,” said Frans proudly in English, followed by warm applause from everyone in the room.

After the applause subsided, the players encouraged Putros to say a few words. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support and care shown by his teammates and staff.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone,” said Putros.

The Persib Bandung star admitted that he was experiencing mixed emotions. As a family man, he deeply wished to be physically present beside his wife and newborn son.

However, his sense of professional responsibility required him to remain with the national team during their training camp.

“Of course I wish I were with my son right now, but at this moment I have to stay with you all. One day, I will be with my son,” said Frans Putros.

The emotional post quickly drew massive reactions from netizens, particularly from Persib Bandung’s loyal fan base known as Bobotoh.

The comment section of Iraq’s official account, which usually contains only dozens or hundreds of responses, was suddenly flooded with thousands of messages. Blue heart emojis, a symbol of Persib’s identity, dominated the stream of digital congratulations.

Fans extended their warm wishes and also expressed hopes that Iraq would perform well in their upcoming World Cup matches.

The Iraq National Team is scheduled to face Norway in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Boston Stadium on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at 05:00 WIB.