At the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Pakistan Football Federation president Syed Mohsen Gilani secured renewed support from AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, a move that could accelerate Pakistan football’s recovery and growth. Sheikh Salman stressed that stability within the federation is essential and welcomed recent progress on infrastructure, including FIFA Arena pitches, and wider international participation.
The PFF delegation, which included vice-president Hafiz Zakaullah and COO Shahid Niaz Khokhar, used the Congress platform to expand outreach and build alliances aimed at technical development. Discussions with the Football Association of Thailand explored team visits and training exchanges that would provide Pakistani players and coaches with valuable exposure.
Further bilateral talks with the Guyana Football Federation, Namibia Football Association and Barbados Football Association focused on coach education, youth and women’s football development, referee training and futsal programmes. These agreements are intended to translate into concrete capacity building for leagues, academies and grassroots initiatives back home.
With AFC backing and a growing roster of international partners, Pakistan football is positioning itself for a sustained push to rebuild domestic structures, enhance coaching standards and increase competitive opportunities for men’s and women’s teams. The diplomatic and technical engagements in Vancouver reflect a deliberate strategy by the PFF to convert goodwill into on-field progress and long-term stability.
