Pakistan’s World Cup Setback

Ali Ahmad

Lahore: Pakistan Football’s world cup dreams seem to have dimmed since the past two consecutive losses to Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan in the second-round qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The team’s recent humiliation at home by Tajikistan, by 6 goals to 1, has raised questions about the players’ passion as well as the coaching they have received.

The national team coach, Stephen Constantine, and captain, Otis Khan, have been at the centre of criticism because of these lacklustre performances. But the coach and captain both blame the government’s lack of investment in football.

They say that there is huge potential but no grass-level development, and according to them, Pakistani football cannot flourish until there is a proper league system in the region.

For years, analysts have been stressing over the importance of a league system. Many countries have some sort of football league, even in the lower socioeconomic brackets.

Domestic players showcase their abilities and progress up the ranks to the big stage. This not only helps the national team find gems from across the country but also gives the players a diverse experience that improves their quality of play substantially.

India, which at the time of the inception of their Indian Super League in 2013, sat at 152 in the FIFA World Rankings, currently sits comfortably at 102. On the other hand, Pakistan’s rank has plummeted over the years, and now they sit at 195.

The craze for football is quite high right now. In fact, our match with Tajikistan recorded the highest attendance for a football match in Pakistan, with 22,500 spectators. People have started to follow the sport more avidly and realise its hype in the country.

Kids from age five are playing in various local-run academies because of their love for football. Coaches are financing their own clubs by working multiple jobs to promote talent. Private companies, like SA Gardens, and communities like Lahore Sports Tournament are continuously arranging domestic matches and tournaments to give the sport some sort of lifeline in these tragic conditions.

But the government and the Football Federation won’t bat an eye.

No Action in Sight

The country’s football has been in muddy waters for over six years now. From being banned by FIFA in 2017 and 2021 for five and 15 months, respectively, to being unable to participate in the Asian Games 2022 due to a lack of funding, to financial and political issues that have severely damaged the nation’s football landscape.

Even after the resolution of political disputes and a FIFA-appointed NC led by Haroon Malik, financial issues are a recurring issue. Even until the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, players and support staff were unpaid for 4 months.

Players who played in the SAFF Championship 2023, the four-nation cup, and the AFC U23 this year have pending dues of over Rs one million each.

This, along with reports of there being no travel reimbursements given to players for camps all over Pakistan, ill-maintained grounds where players are prone to injuries, no meals offered at the airport while travelling to Bahrain for the AFC U23 Qualifiers, and several other lack of facilities, raises the question as to where all the funding is going.

Why aren’t the relevant authorities doing something about this?

Calls for Action Ignored

PFF claims that the funding is delayed by FIFA, causing disruptions in the workflow, but the frequent appointment of highly paid foreign coaches says otherwise.

The latest leasing dispute in November, in which PFF officials were ousted from their premises upon a disagreement with the Punjab Revenue Board, also doesn’t tilt the balance in PFF’s favour.

On the other hand, our women’s team is currently performing better than the men’s and also sits higher than the men’s team on the FIFA World Rankings, 157th. But women’s football is also tarnished with favouritism, nepotism, resentment, and a lack of seriousness by the NC and selection camps.

Diaspora players are given priority over local ones, performing players and captains are frequently changed without any reason, and some are even removed for speaking out against mistreatment and verbal abuse.

Pakistan really needs to focus on our women’s teams. They are high-performing, professional athletes who are held back from reaching their true potential only due to conservative mindsets, discrimination, and mistreatment. Investing in women’s soccer will be the turning point for Pakistan’s road to glory.

Pakistani football’s consistent downfall is very alarming, and the government must look into these issues surrounding the sport. Political issues need to be addressed and eradicated immediately. The risk of being banned a third time in six years due to political and structural unrest is shameful. The government and courts should work in conjunction to bring forth solutions.

To fully promote football in Pakistan, PFF and scouts should focus on selecting local players instead of dual-nationals.

The country has great talent and potential, with world-class players being produced even in lower socioeconomic areas like Lyari. Sadly, these gems are never taken to the big stage due to discrimination, favouritism, or other reasons.

Similarly, a football league is a must if the football landscape is to improve, and the call for it now is more than ever.

The government should really open their eyes to start investing in the sport rather than be stuck in nostalgia and bask in the “heritage and history” of how we used to be in hockey, cricket, and other sports. It’s high time football was given the attention that it deserved.

The nation needs all of its departments to work in cohesion with honesty and integrity, without discrimination towards gender, religion, or ethnicity, so we can tap into our actual potential, pushing the country’s status higher to a respectable place in the sporting world.

Ali Ahmad, a student of the FC College in Lahore, juggles his studies with a creative position at an advertising agency.