In a landmark moment for Pakistani football, the men's national team will participate in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, marking their first appearance in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament. This announcement was made by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Tuesday, confirming the team's inclusion among 14 participants in the upcoming event.
The FIFA ASEAN Cup is scheduled to take place during the extended international window in September and October, with Indonesia serving as the host nation. Pakistan will join seven other teams in the main tournament, including notable competitors such as Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Alongside these teams, Pakistan is one of three invited nations, with the remaining participants hailing from Southeast Asia.
PFF president Syed Mohsen Gilani expressed gratitude towards FIFA president Gianni Infantino for the opportunity, highlighting the significance of this event for Pakistan. “After the women’s national team participated in the FIFA Series, it is now the turn of our men’s national team to take part in their maiden FIFA event when they feature at the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup,” Gilani stated.
Gilani emphasized that this tournament is a crucial opportunity for the Pakistani team to face stronger opponents and gain essential international experience. He noted, “The FIFA ASEAN Cup represents a huge opportunity for our men’s team to play high-profile competitive matches against some of the top teams in Southeast Asia during the extended 16-day international window in September/October.”
The ASEAN Cup will consist of two tiers of competition: the main tournament and the FIFA ASEAN Challenge Cup. The latter will feature teams such as Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste, alongside hosts Hong Kong and China. Teams will be grouped based on their international rankings to ensure a competitive balance, with both competitions adopting a single round-robin format. Group winners will advance to the finals, while runners-up will compete for third place.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino remarked that the event aims to provide national teams with significant competitive opportunities and to strengthen football relations across the region. Gilani echoed this sentiment, stating, “It is time to dream big. We are not content with playing in development competitions. Pakistan is ready to mix it with the big boys. Pakistan football has well and truly arrived at the global stage.”
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