Sabrina, the daughter of an ice-cream seller in Pati, has made her dream come true: named best player of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) All Stars 2026, the elegant midfielder will join an elite team to represent Indonesia at the Singa Cup in Singapore in November.

By Ahmad Effendi | Editor: Muchamad Aly Reza

Every afternoon after cycling around schools selling sliced ice cream, Sabat Aristyono faces one routine he cannot refuse. In the yard of their home in Pati, his daughter Sabrina Dwi Ristiyana is already standing waiting, a ball at her feet.

At home, my child does nothing but play football.

Sabat, speaking to Mojok after the MLSC All Stars final at Super Soccer Arena on Sunday (28/6/2026)

Sabat, honestly, knows nothing about football tactics. He is not a footballer, nor a casual viewer who knows today’s players. But he refuses to give up. He plays along with his daughter, swapping passes, dribbling past each other and laughing together as they fight for the ball.

For Sabat, this routine was never meant as extra training to make his child technically skilled. The sweat in the yard is his language of love as a father, making up for the time spent on the road.

What he never imagined is that this simple dribbling duel would one day carry his little girl to cutting off opposition attacks in a national final, to winning a prestigious individual title, and to packing a suitcase for Singapore.

Falling in love with football through Ronaldo TikTok videos

Sabrina’s love of the pitch was not forced on her by her parents. It all began on a phone screen. When she was just eight, most girls might be more familiar with dolls or play-cooking. Sabrina chose a very different path. She regularly scrolled TikTok videos of Cristiano Ronaldo goal compilations.

I just like watching Ronaldo. I like watching his videos from when he was still at Madrid.

Sabrina

The admiration that began on TikTok spread into the real world. Sabrina started playing football with boys on the village field. In the living room at home, she often shows off Ronaldo’s iconic “Siuuu” celebration to her mum and dad.

Worried about their daughter playing football

At first, Sabat and his wife were very worried. They let Sabrina play anything with her friends, as long as it involved little physical contact. Football is clearly on the list of rough sports. Clashing legs with boys on a dirt pitch risks injuries to her small body.

Honestly, I never forbade my child from playing anything. The important thing is to play safe things. But with football there are often collisions, mister.

Sabat

But the worry eventually collapsed. Sabat saw that his daughter’s passion was too great to extinguish. He realised one important thing: restricting a child who is discovering her greatest desire could kill that child’s character. Permission was given. Sabrina was allowed to play, was fully supported, and the yard of their home officially became a private training ground every morning or afternoon.

The young midfielder proves herself at MLSC All Stars

The parents’ blessing paid off in full. Sabrina proved she has talent beyond her peers. At primary-school level, she regularly represented SDN Jambean 02 Pati in various inter-school tournaments. Her development curve shot upwards, peaking when she made it through the tough selection into the MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) All-Stars Kudus squad from 2025.

In this elite regional squad her game was transformed. Inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo, Sabrina at first aspired to be a goal-hungry striker. The tactical reality on the pitch said otherwise. The coaches saw her outstanding intelligence in reading space and placed her as a defensive midfielder, a role that often forced her to drop back and operate as a defender.

Playing in defence did not turn Sabrina into a rough butcher. If anything, she is an anomaly. Her style is very calm. She refuses to hoof the ball away when pressed by opponents. Sabrina says she loves the moment of taking control: holding the ball for a moment, using a light dribble to get past a marker, then releasing a line-splitting pass to the front line.

That elegant style reminded the author of Pedri or Rodri, two Spanish midfield maestros who make composure their deadliest weapon. Sabrina’s job is to set the tempo. She is the metronome that decides when Kudus must run all-out to attack and when the team must close ranks to withstand the onslaught.

Letting a child go to Singapore after being MLSC All Stars MVP

Sabrina’s mental toughness met its real test at the MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) All-Stars 2026. This is no ordinary grassroots competition. Held at Super Soccer Arena from 23 to 28 June 2026, the MLSC is a real manifestation of a national-level girls’ football development ecosystem. The huge tournament brought together 12 teams representing 12 cities, with hundreds of young talents rigorously screened from the regional level.

On this big stage Sabrina shone brightest. She helped lead All-Stars Kudus to stand tall in the final. Her sharpness in reading the opposition’s attacking direction, backed by composure in executing decisions at crucial moments, earned her the highest individual award. At the end of the tournament Sabrina Dwi Ristiyana was officially named Best Player of the MLSC All-Stars 2026.

That achievement had a domino effect. Sabrina’s name automatically went into the elite MilkLife Strikers Girls U-12 list designed by MLSC Head Coach Jacksen F. Tiago. In November, this elegant defender from Pati will be sent to represent Indonesia in the international SingaCup in Singapore.

For Sabat Aristyono, the news set off two emotions colliding. As a father used to swapping passes in the yard every afternoon, there is a heaviness in letting his little girl cross the ocean. But as the man who was the first witness to the “Siuuu” celebration in the living room years ago, he realises the time has come.

There is fear, mister. Because it’s letting a small girl go abroad. But for her future, I just trust the coach. This must be the best.

Sabat

Let the father be the ice-cream seller, and the daughter must become a footballer.

Sabat, concluding

Also read: Coach Jacksen F. Tiago: A psychological approach to young girl players must come before physical and tactics (Mojok’s other reporting in the Liputan section)

Source: Mojok

Article Link: https://mojok.co/liputan/eksplor/sabrina-pemain-terbaik-mlsc-all-stars/