Pakistan national football team

Pakistan
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Šhāhēens (شاہین)
(The Falcons)
AssociationPakistan Football Federation (PFF)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationSAFF (South Asia)
Head coachNolberto Solano
CaptainAbdullah Iqbal
Most capsHaroon Yousaf (49)
Top scorerMuhammad Umer (17)
Home stadiumJinnah Stadium
FIFA codePAK
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 198 Steady (20 July 2026)[1]
Highest141 (February 1994[2])
Lowest205 (June 2019)
First international
 Iran 5–1 Pakistan 
(Tehran, Iran; 27 October 1950)
Biggest win
 Pakistan 7–0 Thailand 
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 5 August 1960)[3]
 Pakistan 9–2 Guam 
(Taipei, Taiwan; 6 April 2008)[4]
 Pakistan 7–0 Bhutan 
(Dhaka, Bangladesh; 8 December 2009)[5]
Biggest defeat
 Iran 9–1 Pakistan 
(Tehran, Iran; 12 March 1969)
 Pakistan 0–8 Iraq 
(Amman, Jordan; 28 May 1993)
AFC Challenge Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2006)
Best resultGroup stage (2006)
Asian Games
Appearances5 (first in 1954)
Best resultSixth place (1954)
SAFF Championship
Appearances12 (first in 1993)
Best resultThird place (1997)
Medal record
Men's Football
SAFF Championship
Bronze medal – third place1997 NepalTeam
South Asian Games
Gold medal – first place1989 IslamabadTeam
Gold medal – first place1991 ColomboTeam
Bronze medal – third place1987 CalcuttaTeam
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The Pakistan national football team (Urdu: پاکستان قومی فٹ بال ٹیم) represents Pakistan in men's international football in FIFA-authorised events and is controlled by the Pakistan Football Federation, the governing body for football in Pakistan. Pakistan became a member of FIFA in 1948 and joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954.

Pakistan's national team debuted in 1950 and has yet to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals. Pakistan has never qualified for any major tournament outside the South Asian region, although on regional level the team has won the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, and has achieved gold at the South Asian Games in 1989 and 1991. Pakistan had a brief period of emergence in the 1950s and early 1960s, but as the global popularity of football surged, the sport's standing in Pakistan deteriorated.

The standard achieved in the early years could not be maintained because of lack of organisation of the game and the administration's lack of attention to football.[6] Football has also struggled to gain popularity in Pakistan largely due to the heavy influence of cricket in South Asia.[7]

History

Early years (1950s)

Pakistan (in light kit) in their debut match against Iran on 27 October 1950

Shortly after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was created, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Patron-in-Chief. PFF received recognition from FIFA in early 1948.[8] Following the conclusion of the inaugural National Football Championship in 1948, then known as the Inter-Provincial Football Tournament, the Pakistan Football Federation planned to send a national team to compete at the 1948 Summer Olympics.[9][10] However, for reasons that remain unclear, the team ultimately did not participate in the tournament.

In 1950, Pakistan faced Iran in their first official international game in Tehran on 27 October 1950, losing the game 5–1, with Abdul Wahid Durrani scoring the lone goal for Pakistan. The match also took place during the Shah of Iran's birthday celebrations. Reportedly the Pakistan national team played the match barefoot, which was the norm back in South Asia.[8] Pakistan also engaged in unofficial friendly matches during the tour, losing against Tehran's Taj by 1–6 scoreline and drew 2–2 against a team from Isfahan.[8] The next month, the team toured the country of Iraq, where due to the Iraq Football Association's inability to gather a full national team, Pakistan played an unofficial friendly against the club Al-Haras Al-Malaki, which resulted in a 1–1 draw.[11]

Pakistan national team in 1953

Pakistan's next international outing came in the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament where the team finished as joint champions alongside India after finishing with the same points in the table. Pakistan was awarded the shared trophy for the first six months after winning a coin toss.[12][13] The same year, Pakistan played a friendly against Iran in home venue, with the match ending in a goalless draw.[8]

During the early 1950s, Pakistan played internationally in the following Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament editions which were played in Burma in 1953, India in 1954, East Pakistan in 1955.[8] The team made its first appearance at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, Philippines, where Masood Fakhri had most notably become the first Pakistani player to score a hat-trick in an international match, as Pakistan thumped Singapore 6–2 in a group match.[8] However, Pakistan failed to advance out of the group stages.[14]

Pakistan and Malaya national teams for the 1958 Asian Games pictured with Tunku Abdul Rahman before their participation in the tournament

The Pakistan Football Federation became one of the 13 founding members of the Asian Football Confederation on 8 May 1954.[15] Initially scheduled to play against Israel in the inaugural 1956 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, the team withdrew along with Afghanistan due to reluctance to host the Israeli team.[16] The same year, the team toured Ceylon, Singapore, and China, and two years later featured at the 1958 Asian Games held in Japan. In 1959 after a tour to Burma, Pakistan finally decided to participate in the 1960 Asian Cup qualifiers hosted by India in Kerala, where Pakistan faced Iran, India and Israel twice each in the qualifiers.[8] Although Israel managed to qualify by topping the group, Pakistan achieved memorable victories over Iran by 4–1, as well as a win over arch-rivals India by 0–1, and managing to secure a draw against Israel, finishing in third place in the group, ahead of hosts India, but behind Iran and Israel.[17]

Emergence (1960s)

Pakistan had participated in various friendly tournaments in the early 1960s, with the Merdeka Cup hosted in Malaysia after the country first participation in 1960. Pakistan recorded a 7–0 victory over Thailand, and a 3–1 win over Japan.[19][20] Two years later in the 1962 Merdeka Tournament, Pakistan ended runner up after falling to Singapore by 1–2 in the final.[21]

During the China national team tour in Pakistan in 1963, the first test in Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) ended in a 0–0 tie. The second match in Peshawar ended in a 3–2 victory for Pakistan, with the third fixture in Lahore ending in another 1–1 draw. The final fourth match in Karachi ended in a 2–0 defeat for Pakistan.[22][20] The 1964 Summer Olympics qualification the same year included a 4–1 loss in Iran and a 1–0 win in Pakistan. Pakistan visited China in 1964 playing several test matches against local sides, including a 2–0 victory against the China national team.[20]

Pakistan vs Iran during the 1967 RCD Cup

In 1965 after a tour to Ceylon involving several test matches, they played in the inaugural 1965 RCD Cup and finished third. In the 1960s, the national team also hosted several teams from Soviet Union and Dallas Tornados for unofficial test matches.[20] In March 1967, the national team played a four-match test series against Saudi Arabia in Lyallpur, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Karachi, winning and losing once, and drawing twice.[23] Months later, Pakistan lost their Asian Cup qualifiers against Burma and Cambodia and drew their final match against India. Pakistan also entered the 1968 Merdeka Tournament, but did not feature in it, withdrawing earlier before the tournament started.[24]

They then hosted the second 1967 RCD Cup and finished third. In 1969, they travelled to Iran to take part in the 1969 Friendship Cup, in which they had a 2–1 win against Iraq and a record 9–1 defeat by Iran.[25] This was before another disappointment at the 1969 and 1970 RCD Cup editions.[26]

Despite the game's growth in the 1960s, Pakistan did not actively participate in the Asian Games football tournaments held in 1962, 1966, and 1970 due to financial constraints. The World Cup qualifiers followed a similar pattern, with Pakistan missing crucial matches because of a lack of interest from the federation and insufficient government support.[20]

Dark era (1970s)

Following the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh. This separation also led to the loss of the Dhaka First Division League, which had provided a higher standard of competition and professionalism than was typically found in West Pakistan, often drawing leading players from West Pakistan and functioned alongside the National Football Championship as a key competitive platform.[20]

The national team did not compete again until 1973, when the national team toured the far east, which included several test matches against local teams and a friendly against China ending in a 4–7 defeat.[20]

Pakistani captain Abdul Ghafoor with Iran national team captain Parviz Ghelichkhani (left) during the 1974 Asian Games

In the early 1970s the national side participated at the 1974 RCD Cup and the 1974 Asian Games. The most notable result in this period included a 2–2 draw against Turkey at the former and a 5–1 win against Bahrain at the latter. Two years later, Pakistan held the inaugural 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament in Karachi.[20] Earlier that same year, Pakistan participated in the third edition of the Afghanistan Republic Day Festival Cup, finishing in fifth place.[27] The team also competed in the next tournament, finishing last place, however, securing a win against arch-rivals India.[27][28]

The Pakistan national team pictured in 1978 before their match against Saudi Arabia

In 1978, Pakistan participated in the "Saudi Arabia Football Federation International Tournament", the team lost their first match against Saudi Arabia 0–6. The following match against South Korea B ended in another loss, with a scoreline of 0–5, the final match against Kenya ended in 3–8 defeat.[29]

Resurgence and South Asian Success (1980–1989)

After several years of competitive football inactivity, the national team was invited for the 1981 Merdeka Tournament, however, the team declined the invitation, withdrawing from the tournament.[30][31] Instead, they participated in the 1981 King's Cup, Pakistan secured a goalless draw against Semarang from Indonesia. After a loss to Thailand, they gained a 3–2 victory against Malaysia and although they lost a close game against 1 August from China, they were able to win 1–0 in their final game against Singapore.[20]

Pakistan hosted the 1982 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament involving Iran, Bangladesh, Oman, Nepal and the second string Pakistan Blues. The Green Shirts started off with a 2–0 win over Nepal. They then lost to Iran, but came back and beat Bangladesh 2–1. The last game against Oman ended nil-nil and Pakistan ended at the third position behind the Pakistan Blues team. In 1984, the national team participated at the 1984 Merdeka Tournament, and later at the 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification, losing 4 out of 5 games, the only victory coming against North Yemen 4–1.[32]

The national team hosted another 1985 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament, this time inviting North Korea XI, Indonesia Youth, Bangladesh and Nepal. A goalless draw against the North Koreans boosted the side, as they beat Nepal by one goal. However, they lost in the final two games against Bangladesh and Indonesia. In the 1985 South Asian Games, Pakistan ended fourth after losing a penalty shoot out to Nepal in the third place match.

Pakistan at the 1986 Fajr International Tournament

After participating at the 1986 Fajr International Tournament in Iran, the team finished runners-up at the 1986 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament involving China, Sri Lanka, Nepal and a South Korean XI. In the 1986 Asian Games, Pakistan lost all their games.

Pakistan's starting line-up at the 1989 South Asian Games final against Bangladesh (Exact formation type and players position unknown)[33]
Coach: Wang Xiao He

In 1987 after an unsuccessful campaign at the 1988 Summer Olympics Qualification against Nepal at away venue, the side was more successful at the 1987 South Asian Games, winning the bronze medal match against Bangladesh 1–0. In 1988, after losing the 1988 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Pakistan began with their first ever participation for the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Italy in January and February, losing all matches. The national team bounced back, when several months later they took gold at the 1989 South Asian Games, beating Bangladesh 1–0 in the final, from a solitary goal by Haji Abdul Sattar in the dying minutes of the game.[34]

Sustained Regional Competitiveness (1990s)

Pakistan had another early exit in the 1990 Asian Games, losing all three games. In the 1991 South Asian Games however, Pakistan beat the Maldives in the final 2–0 to win their second gold, from goals scored by Qazi Ashfaq and Muhammad Nauman Khan.[36] In 1992, the team lost all matches at the 1992 AFC Asian Cup qualification and the 1992 Jordan International Tournament. After again ending unsuccessful at the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification in 1993, the team hosted the inaugural 1993 SAARC Gold Cup in Lahore, finishing fourth. At the 1993 South Asian Games, they were unable to get past the group stage.

Pakistan went out of the 1995 SAARC Gold Cup group stage on goal difference. The team lost all their Asian Cup and World Cup qualifying games. Pakistan came third in the 1997 SAFF Cup, thanks to a 1–0 victory over Sri Lanka in the third place playoff.[37] The 1999 SAFF Cup saw Pakistan finish bottom of their group, and Pakistan also failed to get out of the group stage of the final 1999 South Asian Games to hold full internationals.[34]

Pakistan and Sri Lanka during the Third-place match at the 1997 SAFF Gold Cup

Pakistan were unable to win any of their 2000 Asian Cup qualifiers. The following year Pakistan achieved their first point in the 2002 World Cup qualification, thanks to a hat-trick by Gohar Zaman in a 3–3 draw against Sri Lanka, but all other matches ended in defeat.[38][39]

In 2002, Pakistan played in an unsuccessful four match series against Sri Lanka. At the 2003 SAFF Cup, under the inspiration of the attacking midfielder Sarfraz Rasool, Pakistan stunned India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in three victories as they reached the semi-finals only to fall short against Maldives by 1–0.[34] Pakistan finished fourth, losing 2–1 in extra time to India in the third place playoff.[34] Later in the year, Pakistan won their first Asian Cup qualifier with a 3–0 over Macao, but still were unable to qualify. They rounded off the year with defeats to Kyrgyzstan in the World Cup qualifiers.

Mixed Results and Structural Reforms (2004–2014)

2004 saw changes in Pakistan football, with a new administration in place by this time and a new national league up and running. A victory and a draw against India in a three match series, the final match ending 3–0 in favour to the Green Shirts,[40][41] followed by the reach in the semi-finals of the 2005 SAFF Cup, losing against defending champion Bangladesh by 0–1 margin.

The Pakistan team lost their first two Asian Cup qualifiers in 2006, in between which they took part in the first 2006 AFC Challenge Cup. They failed to get past the group stage, but beat Kyrgyzstan 1–0.[42] Back at the Asian Cup qualifiers, they lost their remaining fixtures. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers in 2007, they fell to a heavy defeat by the Asian champions Iraq, losing 7–0 on aggregate across the two legs after drawing 0–0 in the second round.[43] In 2008, Pakistan travelled to Nepal for two friendlies before taking on the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualification. Although they won against Chinese Taipei 2–1 in the first match, and beat Guam in a record-equalling 9–2 win in the final match, other results, including a 7–1 defeat to Sri Lanka, saw them again fail to reach the finals.

In the 2008 SAFF Championship, Pakistan failed to go beyond the group stages, losing to Maldives 3–0, India 2–1 and Nepal 4–1, which signalled the end of Akhtar Mohiuddin's tenure as head coach.[44] After Mohiuddin's departure, George Kottan was hired and the veteran tactician took the team to the 2009 SAFF Championship. The side were defeated 1–0 by Sri Lanka, before drawing 0–0 with Bangladesh as Adnan Ahmed missed a late penalty to seal a win. Pakistan won against Bhutan 7–0 in their last game.[45]

Kottan was soon sacked in February 2010, Pakistan had no senior games during the entire calendar year. For the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification in 2011, coach Tariq Lutfi was called up once more and failed to deliver. Defeats such as the 3–0 against Turkmenistan and 3–1 against India meant that the side were already out of the qualifiers despite beating Chinese Taipei by 2–0. Later in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in July, Pakistan lost 3–0 to Bangladesh in Dhaka, before earning a 0–0 draw in Lahore a few days later. Pakistan did not qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, being eliminated by Bangladesh in the first round of the AFC qualifying section in 2011, losing 3–0 on aggregate.

That saw the end of Lutfi's reign, with Serbian coach Zaviša Milosavljević taking over in November 2011 right before the 2011 SAFF Championship.[46] Despite having little time to influence the team, Zavisa managed to hold Bangladesh 0–0, Maldives 0–0 and Nepal 1–1 in the India-hosted 2011 SAFF Championship. However, they were unable to progress into the semi-finals and returned home.

Pakistan in Malé during a friendly against Maldives in 2013

2012's sole game was witnessed in November against Singapore, who thrashed Pakistan 4–0 at home. Pakistan started 2013 well, winning two games against Nepal with identical 1–0 margins.[47][48] A 1–1 draw with Maldives followed, but with congested fixtures Pakistan ended up losing the last game 3–0 in Male.

Pakistan then played the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification in Bishkek, losing out 1–0 to Tajikistan in injury-time. Pakistan also lost 1–0 against the Kyrgyzstan after scoring in the 1st minute, but comfortably beat Macau 2–0.[49]

Pakistan played a friendly against Afghanistan in August, losing 3–0 without their foreign-based players. Coach Zaviša Milosavljević was controversially sacked and replaced by Bahrain's Mohammad Al-Shamlan, who acted as a coaching consultant to Shahzad Anwar in the 2013 SAFF Championship. The Shaheens lost their first game 1–0 to India after an own-goal from Samar Ishaq. Against hosts Nepal, Hassan Bashir scored an early goal, only to see 15-year-old Bimal Gharti Magar level things in injury-time. However, Pakistan beat Bangladesh 2–1 but failed to advance to the semi-finals.[50] The team participated at the 2013 Philippine Peace Cup at the end of the year.

For Pakistan's campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, they were to face Yemen in Round 1 in the AFC qualifying section. In the first match, Pakistan lost 3–1.[51] For the second match, Pakistan drew 0–0, eliminating Pakistan from the tournament on aggregate.[52]

Inactivity and FIFA suspensions (2015–2022)

Pakistan was suspended from all football activities by FIFA on 10 October 2017,[53] after the controversial tenure of the PFF president and politician Faisal Saleh Hayat, widely described as a "feudal lord of Pakistani football".[54][55]

For three years since March 2015, the top division of the Pakistan Premier League remained suspended because of the crisis created due to his actions, along with the men's senior team,[55] who remained suspended from any international competition, and FIFA rankings of the senior team had slumped from 168 in 2003 to the lowest 201 in 2017.[55][56][57]

Pakistan against India at the 2018 SAFF Championship

FIFA restored membership of PFF on 13 March 2018.[58]

Pakistan went to Bangladesh to take part in 2018 SAFF Cup which started in September 2018 which was their first FIFA recognised tournament after a span of 3 years.[55] Pakistan played its first match of the event against Nepal which ended in a 2–1 win.[59] Pakistan lost its next match to hosts Bangladesh by 1–0 after conceding a late goal. Green shirts played their final group game against Bhutan which ended in a 3–0 win and sealed their place in semis after 13 years.[60] Pakistan faced arch rivals India in semi-final and were ultimately knocked out by 3–1.[61]

After the SAFF Cup, Pakistan negotiated with the Palestine Football Association for a friendly. It was initially reported that the match will be played in Lahore, Pakistan on 15 November 2018 but Palestine decided to host the event afterwards. Due to visa issues, Pakistan team couldn't fly to Palestine on the desired date. So, the match was played on 16 November in which Shaheens lost by 2–1.[62]

Disappointment would soon strike again as Pakistan lost its chance to pass the 2022 FIFA qualification, losing against Cambodia twice in the first round and was eliminated.[63] The preliminary camp for the matches were controversially organised by two different federations. Faisal Saleh Hayat-led Pakistan Football Federation, which was internationally recognised, and non-FIFA recognised Ashfaq Hussain Shah group, which formed a parallel PFF, coming into power by third-party interference through the PFF elections conducted by the Supreme Court.[64]

Pakistan were once again suspended from all football activities by FIFA on 7 April 2021.[65][66] The suspension was lifted on 29 June 2022.[67]

International Return and Historic World Cup Qualification Win (2022–present)

Pakistan made their comeback by playing a friendly match against Nepal in November 2022, losing 0–1 in a late minute goal.[68] They played a second friendly match against Maldives in March 2023 losing 0–1.[69]

Pakistan subsequently took part in the 2023 Mauritius Four Nations Cup featuring Mauritius, Kenya, Djibouti and the 2023 SAFF Championship alongside India, Kuwait and Nepal in the group stages, losing all six matches and finishing last in their group in each competition.[70]

On 27 July 2023, the draw for the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification took place in which Pakistan were drawn once again against Cambodia, followed by the appointment of the English coach Stephen Constantine.[71] In the first leg in Phnom Penh, Pakistan contested in a goalless 0–0 draw.[72] Pakistan won their second leg beating Cambodia 1–0 in Islamabad, due to a goal by Harun Hamid, recording their first-ever victory in World Cup qualifiers in their first fixture at home for eight years, and qualifying for the second round for the first time.[73]

Following the victory in Islamabad, the Shaheens were drawn in a group with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tajikistan. Being the 193rd ranked team, Pakistan were the lowest-ranked team in the qualifiers,[74] and terminated the campaign losing all the games in the group.[75]

Pakistan was briefly suspended from all football activities again by FIFA on 6 February 2025 due to failing to adopt a version of the PFF constitution approved by FIFA and the AFC that would have guaranteed fair elections.[76] The suspension was lifted on 2 March 2025 after the PFF agreed to adopt the FIFA and AFC approved constitution.[77] After an unsuccessful campaign at the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification, the team participated in the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament held in Maldives in 2026. After a draw against Bangladesh Olympic, and victories over Maldives and rivals Afghanistan, the team again defeated Afghanistan in the final, marking their first football title in 35 years since the 1991 South Asian Games.[78]

Team image

Kit

Pakistan wearing the traditional green home jersey (above), and the traditional white away jersey (below) at the 1997 SAFF Gold Cup
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pakistan national football team kits.

The Pakistan national team's home kit has always been a green shirt and white shorts. The colours are derived from the flag of Pakistan which is a green field with a white crescent moon and five-rayed star at its centre, and a vertical white stripe at the hoist side.[79] The away shirt colour has changed several times. The national team has used white shirt with white shorts or white shirt with green shorts. Historically, white shirt with green shorts is the most often used colour combination.

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier Period Ref.
Unknown 1950–2000
United Kingdom Sapphire Sports 2001 [80]
Pakistan National Bank 2005 [81]
Pakistan Roshi Sports 2007
Pakistan Vision 2010–2013 [82]
Pakistan Forward 2013–2015 [83]
None[note 5] 2015–2017
United Kingdom Joshila 2018–2021 [84]
None[note 6] 2021–2022
Pakistan Denim Studio 2022–2023
Pakistan Gym Armour 2023–present [85]

Home stadiums

Jinnah Sports Stadium in Islamabad

For the first fifty years of their existence, Pakistan played their home matches at various multi-purpose stadiums all around the country. YMCA Ground in Karachi hosted the national team's first home match against Iran on 23 April 1952.[86] The Hockey Club stadium hosted the 1974 RCD Cup and the inaugural 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament.[87] The consequent 1982 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament was held at the cricket National Stadium,[88][89] while the 1985 edition was held at the Qayyum Stadium in Peshawar.[90]

Although the Pakistan Football Federation doesn't own any stadium to date,[91] since the 1980s Pakistan plays majority of their home matches at the Jinnah Sports Stadium in the capital Islamabad which first hosted the 1986 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament, and where the senior team won the 1989 South Asian Games.[92] By the 1990s, the Railway Stadium in Lahore also served as one of the primary venues which also hosted the inaugural 1993 SAARC Gold Cup.[93]

By the 2000s, several alternative stadiums emerged such as Karachi's People's Football Stadium and the Punjab Stadium in Lahore located near the headquarters of the Pakistan Football Federation.[94]

The Jinnah Sports Stadium is the largest football stadium in Pakistan with a capacity of over 45,000, whereas the People's Football Stadium is second largest with 40,000.

Pakistan B

In the Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament, two Pakistan national teams usually participated, the Pakistan national football team under the name of Pakistan Greens, and the Pakistan national B team under the name of Pakistan Reds in 1976, Pakistan Blue in 1982, and Pakistan White in 1985, 1986 and 1987.[95] Alongside the senior national team, the other national team mainly consisted of "second string" or youth international players. Having a two separate teams was very common during the 80s and 90s for developing South Asian countries, both Nepal (Nepal B) and Bangladesh (Bangladesh B) had second string team's.

In June 1993, the Pakistan Football Federation sent an alternate team, designated as "Pakistan A", to the 1993 ECO Cup held in Tehran, Iran, while the main national team was participating in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[96] At the inaugural 1993 SAARC Gold Cup held in Lahore, a second string team named Pakistan White also played exhibition matches against the national sides participating in the tournament.[97]

Rivalries

India

Pakistan against India at the 1997 SAFF Gold Cup

Pakistan's arch-rivals in several sports including football are India.[98][99][100] The two teams first met at the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, which ended in a goalless draw and both teams crowned champions of the tournament. India first won at the consequent 1953 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament with a 1–0 win, with Neville D'Souza scoring a goal. Pakistan men's football team recorded its first official win over India at the 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification with Abdullah Rahi netting the winner.[101] Currently, Pakistan has won three games, there have been eight draws and sixteen wins for India among the 27 games played so far.[102] In addition, both teams have faced each other two times in unofficial exhibition matches after the finalisation of the 1953 and 1955 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament editions, with Pakistan winning both times by 1–0.[103]

Afghanistan

Pakistan vs Afghanistan at the 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament

Pakistan is currently rivals with Afghanistan in many sports, including cricket and football.

The national teams of Pakistan and Afghanistan first met at the 1976 Afghanistan Republic Day Festival Cup, where the A team of Afghanistan won by 1–0,[104][105][106] with Mohammad Saber Rohparwar scoring the lone goal on a corner kick minutes before game's end.[107][108][109] Because of rising tensions between the two countries in the 1970s, Afghan president Mohammad Daoud Khan handed each player 5,000 afghanis as a celebration and gift for their victory.[110][111] Both teams met again at the 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament the same year where Pakistan avenged by winning by the same score, with forward Afzal Qasim scoring the winning goal in the eighth minute after the kick off.[112][113] A Pakistani selection named Shaheen FC again participated in the Afghan tournament in 1977.[104][114]

The ensuing civil war and political instability in Afghanistan prevented the two sides from meeting again until 2003.[115] Due to the historical, cultural and political relationship between the two countries, contests between the teams generate much enthusiasm amongst football fans on account of their mutual relations and have been referred to as a "rivalry".[116][117][118][119]

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future match have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2025

9 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Pakistan  0–0  Afghanistan Islamabad, Pakistan
14:00 5:00 Report
Report (AFC)		 Stadium: Jinnah Sports Stadium
Attendance: 7,375
Referee: Mohammed Al-Shammari (Qatar)
14 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Afghanistan  1–1  Pakistan Farwaniya, Kuwait
20:00 8:00
Report
Report (AFC)
Stadium: Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium
Attendance: 750
Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)
18 November 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Pakistan  0–5  Syria Islamabad, Pakistan
14:00 UTC+5 Report
Report (AFC)
Stadium: Jinnah Sports Stadium
Attendance: 7,124
Referee: Virendha Rai (Bhutan)

2026

31 March 2027 Asian Cup qualification third round Pakistan  1–2  Myanmar Islamabad, Pakistan
14:00 UTC+5
Report
Report (AFC)
Stadium: Jinnah Sports Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Firdavs Nosafarov (Uzbekistan)
Note: The match was held behind closed doors due to restrictions on large public gatherings by Pakistani government.[120]
10 June 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament final Pakistan  2–0  Afghanistan Malé, Maldives
21:00 UTC+5:30
Report Stadium: National Football Stadium
Attendance: 273
Referee: Aditya Purkayastha (India)

Coaching staff

Personnel

Position Name
Head coach Peru Nolberto Solano
Assistant coaches Pakistan Adeel Rizki
Pakistan Mehmood Khan
Pakistan Walid Javaid
Goalkeeper coach Pakistan Muhammad Aslam Khan
Fitness coach Argentina Jorge Castañeira
Team manager Pakistan Shahzaib Ahmed Khan

Players

Current squad

The following players were named in the preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup in September 2026.

Caps and goals are correct as of 10 June 2026, after the match against Afghanistan.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Yousuf Butt (1989-10-18) 18 October 1989 33 0 Danish Football Association Ishøj IF
1GK Saqib Hanif (1994-04-23) 23 April 1994 11 0 Football Association of Maldives New Radiant
1GK Hassan Ali (2003-02-23) 23 February 2003 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation WAPDA
1GK Zulqurnain Shinwari 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation POPO FC
2DF Abdullah Iqbal (Captain) (2002-07-27) 27 July 2002 21 0 Swedish Football Association Mjällby
2DF Easah Suliman (1998-01-26) 26 January 1998 11 0 Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan Sumgayit
2DF Abdullah Shah (2001-02-06) 6 February 2001 10 0 Pakistan Football Federation Mehran FC
2DF Mohib Ullah (2005-05-23) 23 May 2005 9 0 Bhutan Football Federation Paro FC
2DF Haris Zeb (2001-05-15) 15 May 2001 6 0 New Zealand Football South Island United
2DF Mohammad Fazal (2002-05-29) 29 May 2002 9 0 Swedish Football Association Nordic United
2DF Mamoon Moosa Khan (2000-11-28) 28 November 2000 12 0 Bhutan Football Federation Paro FC
2DF Ali Khan Niazi (2000-12-14) 14 December 2000 5 0 Pakistan Football Federation SA Gardens
2DF Abdul Rehman (2008-02-25) 25 February 2008 2 0 Pakistan Football Federation POPO FC
2DF Waqar Baloch (1996-03-02) 2 March 1996 6 0 Pakistan Football Federation Khan Research Laboratories
2DF Arslan Ali (1998-12-28) 28 December 1998 1 0 Pakistan Football Federation Khan Research Laboratories
2DF Ubaid Ullah Khan 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation WAPDA
2DF Shahid Anjum 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation
3MF Alamgir Ghazi (2001-05-09) 9 May 2001 22 0 Pakistan Football Federation WAPDA
3MF Hayyaan Khattak (2003-10-06) 6 October 2003 4 0 Pakistan Football Federation POPO FC
3MF Ali Agha (1997-05-15) 15 May 1997 4 0 Pakistan Football Federation Khan Research Laboratories
3MF Otis Khan (1995-09-05) 5 September 1995 15 0 The Football Association Altrincham
3MF Adil Nabi (1994-02-28) 28 February 1994 3 0 Hellenic Football Federation Panachaiki
3MF Ali Zafar (2007-08-28) 28 August 2007 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation Khan Research Laboratories
3MF Tufail Shinwari (2006-05-10) 10 May 2006 3 0 Pakistan Football Federation Karachi United
3MF Ali Uzair (1996-10-14) 14 October 1996 22 0 Bangladesh Football Federation Brothers Union
3MF Muhammad Junaid 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation WAPDA
3MF Owais Ilyas 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation
4FW Shayak Dost (2002-05-01) 1 May 2002 20 2 Bangladesh Football Federation City Club
4FW Umar Nawaz (2007-09-28) 28 September 2007 4 2 Free agent
4FW Abdul Arshad (2003-02-26) 26 February 2003 14 1 Danish Football Association Kolding IF
4FW Harun Hamid (2003-11-10) 10 November 2003 18 4 Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina Jedinstvo Bihać
4FW Syed Ali Raza (2004-08-06) 6 August 2004 1 0 Bangladesh Football Federation Brothers Union
4FW Kaleemullah Khan (1992-09-20) 20 September 1992 27 4 Free agent
4FW Samad Khan Wazir (1998-03-15) 15 March 1998 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation Pakistan Air Force
4FW Najeeb Ullah Khan (2007-08-02) 2 August 2007 0 0 Pakistan Football Federation Khan Research Laboratories
4FW Abdul Samad Khan 0 0 Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan Qarabağ FK Youth

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Pakistan squad within the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Usman Ali (2004-06-10) 10 June 2004 0 0 Bangladesh PWD SC v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
GK Adam Khan (2005-10-24) 24 October 2005 1 0 England Blackburn Rovers U21 v.  Syria; 18 November 2025
DF Muhammad Umar Hayat (1996-09-22) 22 September 1996 22 1 Pakistan WAPDA 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football TournamentPRE
DF Junaid Shah (2003-03-23) 23 March 2003 8 0 Pakistan SA Gardens 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football TournamentPRE
DF Ahmed Salman (2006-08-24) 24 August 2006 1 0 United Arab Emirates Shabab Al Ahli v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
DF Sardar Wali (1998-11-28) 28 November 1998 0 0 Pakistan WAPDA v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
DF Kamil Marwat (2006-01-10) 10 January 2006 0 0 Pakistan POPO FC v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
DF Ans Amin (2006-04-15) 15 April 2006 0 0 Pakistan SA Gardens v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
DF Rehman Manzoor (2003-08-03) 3 August 2003 1 0 Pakistan Pakistan Army v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
DF Haseeb Khan (2000-04-04) 4 April 2000 6 0 Pakistan Pakistan Air Force v.  Afghanistan; 14 October 2025
MF Rahis Nabi (1999-04-16) 16 April 1999 19 1 England Sporting Khalsa 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament
MF Muhammad Fahad (1999-12-27) 27 December 1999 0 0 Pakistan SA Gardens v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
MF Etzaz HussainRET (1993-01-27) 27 January 1993 3 1 Retired v.  Afghanistan; 14 October 2025
FW Ali Haider Shah (2003-03-02) 2 March 2003 2 0 Denmark Ishøj IF 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament
FW Ali Khan (2001-03-16) 16 March 2001 0 0 Sweden Vasalunds IF 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament
FW Moin Ahmed (2003-11-28) 28 November 2003 6 0 Pakistan Khan Research Laboratories v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
FW Muhammad Afzaal (1997-09-04) 4 September 1997 1 0 Pakistan Pakistan Army v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
FW Jevan Khan (2006-12-13) 13 December 2006 1 0 Pakistan SA Gardens v.  Syria; 31 March 2026
FW Ahmed Faraz Gulzari (2007-06-25) 25 June 2007 3 0 Australia Melbourne Victory Youth v.  Syria; 18 November 2025
FW McKeal Abdullah (2005-07-07) 7 July 2005 6 0 England Mansfield Town U21 v.  Afghanistan; 14 October 2025
FW Adeel Younas (2006-03-23) 23 March 2006 5 0 Pakistan POPO FC v.  Afghanistan; 14 October 2025
  • PRE Preliminary squad / standby
  • RET Retired from the national team
  • INJ Player withdrew due to injury
  • WD Player withdrew from squad due to non-injury issue

Player records

As of 7 June 2026[121]
Players in bold are still active with Pakistan.

Most appearances

Haroon Yousaf is Pakistan's most capped player with 49 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Period
1 Haroon Yousaf 49 3 1992–2003
2 Jaffar Khan 47 0 2001–2013
3 Zafar Iqbal 45 1 1985–1995
4 Samar Ishaq 44 3 2006–2013
5 Muhammad Essa 40 11 2001–2009
Muhammad Tariq Hussain 40 0 1987–2003
7 Abdul Ghafoor 35 3 1959–1974
8 Yousuf Butt 33 0 2012–present
9 Sharafat Ali 32 12 1984–1992
10 Tanveer Ahmed 31 3 1999–2008
NB Exact figures of players before 1989 are not yet known and yet to be researched. This absence of data is notable for old long-serving players such as Muhammad Umer, Abid Hussain Ghazi, Abdullah Rahi & Abdul Ghafoor, who are likely to have accumulated between 30 and 40 caps. Additionally, player appearances are also missing in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification, two of the 2002 friendly matches against Sri Lanka, and 2006 friendly against Palestine in the primary source and yet to be updated.

Top goalscorers

Muhammad Umer is Pakistan's all-time top scorer with 17 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Period
1 Muhammad Umer 17 — — 1956–1965
2 Sharafat Ali 12 32 0.38 1984–1992
3 Moosa Ghazi 11 — — 1955–1967
Muhammad Essa 11 40 0.28 2001–2009
5 Masood Fakhri 10 13 0.77 1952–1955
6 Qayyum Changezi 9 — — 1955–1963
Hassan Bashir 9 29 0.31 2012–2023
8 Jamil Akhtar 8 14 0.57 1952–1955
9 Arif Mehmood 7 21 0.33 2005–2012
10 Ghulam Sarwar 6 — — 1984–1992
Muhammad Nauman Khan 6 18 0.33 1991–1997
Sarfraz Rasool 6 23 0.26 1997–2003
NB Goalscorer information is currently missing and yet to be researched for the 1–1 draw against India at the 1976 Afghanistan Republic Day Festival Cup, the 4–7 friendly defeat against China in 1973, the 1–1 draw against South Vietnam at the 1958 Asian Games, and the 2–2 friendly draw against Ceylon in 1956.

Captains

  • In major Continental and International tournaments. For the complete list, see the main article.
Player Tournament
Moideen Kutty
Nabi Chowdhury
Abdul Ghafoor
Muhammad Naveed
Mateen Akhtar
Jaffar Khan

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
1930 to 1938Part of  United Kingdom Part of  United Kingdom
1950 to 1986Did not enter Did not enter
Italy 1990Did not qualify4004112
United States 19948008236
France 19984004322
South Korea Japan 20026015529
Germany 2006200206
South Africa 2010201107
Brazil 2014201103
Russia 2018201113
Qatar 2022200214
Canada Mexico United States 20268116226
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 0/20 — — — — — — 40 1 5 34 15 148

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956WithdrewWithdrew
South Korea 1960Did not qualify6213810
Israel 1964WithdrewWithdrew
Iran 1968Did not qualify301214
Thailand 1972WithdrewWithdrew
Iran 1976
Kuwait 1980
Singapore 1984Did not qualify4103414
Qatar 19884004112
Japan 1992200209
United Arab Emirates 1996200207
Lebanon 20004004016
China 2004210133
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 20078017423
Qatar 2011Did not enterAFC Challenge Cup
Australia 2015
United Arab Emirates 2019Did not qualify201113
Qatar 2023200214
Saudi Arabia 2027 12138330
Total — 0/19 — — — — — — 51 5 7 39 26 135

AFC Challenge Cup

The AFC Challenge Cup was held every two years from 2006 through 2014.

AFC Challenge Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
Bangladesh 2006Group stage10th311134No qualification
India 2008Did not qualify32011210
Sri Lanka 2010312093
Nepal 2012310236
Maldives 2014310222
Total Group stage 1/5 3 1 1 1 3 4 12 5 2 5 26 21

SAFF Championship

SAFF Championship record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Pakistan 1993Fourth place4th302126
Sri Lanka 1995Group stage5th210112
Nepal 1997Third place3rd420234
India 1999Group stage6th200206
Bangladesh 2003Fourth place4th530254
Pakistan 2005Semi-finals4th421121
Sri Lanka Maldives 2008Group stage8th300329
Bangladesh 2009Group stage5th311171
India 2011Group stage5th303011
Nepal 2013Group stage5th311133
India 2015Withdrew
Bangladesh 2018Semi-finals4th420265
Maldives 2021Suspended
India 2023Group stage8th300309
Total Third place 12/14 39 12 8 19 32 52

Asian Games

Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
Asian Games record
YearPositionPldWDLGFGA
India 1951Did not enter
Philippines 1954Round 1210174
Japan 1958Round 1201124
Indonesia 1962Did not enter
Thailand 1966
Thailand 1970
Iran 1974Round 13102613
Thailand 1978Did not enter
India 1982
South Korea 1986Round 14004215
China 1990Round 13003116
Japan 1994Did not enter
Thailand 1998
2002 to present See Pakistan national under-23 football team
Total5/131421111852

South Asian Games

Football at the South Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2004.
South Asian Games record
Year Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Nepal 1984Did not enter
Bangladesh 1985Fourth place311165
India 1987Third place321020
Pakistan 1989Champions 3 2 1 0 5 2
Sri Lanka 1991 Champions 3 2 1 0 3 0
Bangladesh 1993 Group stage 2 0 1 1 3 4
India 1995Withdrew
Nepal 1999Group stage 3 1 0 2 5 9
2004 to present See Pakistan national under-23 football team
Total6/8178542420

RCD Cup

Pakistan at the 1974 RCD Cup
RCD Cup record
Year Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Iran 1965Third place200227
Pakistan 1967Third place200249
Turkey 1969Third place200248
Iran 1970Third place2002110
Pakistan 1974Third place201134
Total5/6100191438

FIFA ASEAN Cup

FIFA ASEAN Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Indonesia 2026 To be determined

Head-to-head record

Honours

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Substituted by Shabbir Hussain during the game.
  2. ↑ Substituted by Haji Abdul Sattar during the game.
  3. ↑ Substituted by Fida Ur Rehman during the game.
  4. ↑ Substituted by Qazi Ashfaq during the game.
  5. ↑ From 2015 to 2017, Pakistan didn't play any matches due to Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) crisis and consequent ban by FIFA.
  6. ↑ From 2021 to 2022, Pakistan didn't play any matches due to Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) ban by FIFA.

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