Pakistan U-16 have departed Pakistan for Kazakhstan to take part in the UEFA U-16 Boys Development Tournament 2026, a historic first for a Pakistani squad in a UEFA-sanctioned event. The team left Jinnah International Airport in Karachi and is scheduled to arrive in Almaty tonight ahead of the tournament running from April 24 to April 30 at Namys Stadium in the Biik Sports Complex.
The 19-member squad was carefully scouted by the national coaching staff and travels as the ‘Young Shaheens’. The roster includes goalkeepers Samar Razzaq and Naveed Ullah; defenders Muhammad Alam, Hamza Amjad, Maqbool Ahmed, Nadeem Hussain, Abdul Raheem Elahi and Syed Manzar Shah; midfielders M. Mustafa, M. Essa, Sagar Mehrban, Haroon Rasheed, Shahraz Khan, Abdul Samad, Hamza Yasir and M. Hanzala; and forwards Danish Masih, M. Rafay and Kaleem Ullah.
Pakistan U-16 will face strong opposition in a compact schedule designed to test the players’ readiness at international level: April 25 vs Kazakhstan, April 27 vs Russia and April 30 vs Azerbaijan. The lineup of hosts Kazakhstan alongside Russia and Azerbaijan promises a demanding set of matches that will expose our boys to varied styles and higher technical standards.
Syed Mohsen Gilani, President of the Pakistan Football Federation, described the trip as a ‘major breakthrough’ and said ‘Access to European competition at this level has historically been out of reach for our young players, and that is a gap we are determined to close.’ He added that the U-16 age group is where players begin to define themselves and that international competition is essential to build character and raise standards.
The PFF views this participation as evidence of strengthening ties with global football bodies and as part of a broader plan to create structured pathways from grassroots to elite levels. For coaches and support staff, the UEFA Development Tournament will offer a valuable benchmark to measure domestic talent against international benchmarks and to inform future qualification cycles for Pakistan U-16.
