 | |||
| Nicknames | Shaheens (شاہین) (The Falcons) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | SAFF (South Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Nolberto Solano | ||
| Captain | Abdullah Iqbal | ||
| Mostcaps | Haroon Yousaf (49) | ||
| Top scorer | Muhammad Umer (14) | ||
| Home stadium | Jinnah Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | PAK | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 199 1 (19 November 2025)[1] | ||
| Highest | 141 (February 1994[2]) | ||
| Lowest | 205 (June 2019) | ||
| First international | |||
 Iran 5–1Pakistan  (Tehran,Iran; 27 October 1950) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Pakistan 7–0Thailand  (Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia; 5 August 1960)[3] Pakistan 9–2Guam  (Taipei,Taiwan; 6 April 2008)[4] Pakistan 7–0Bhutan  (Dhaka,Bangladesh; 8 December 2009)[5] | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Iran 9–1Pakistan (Tehran,Iran; 12 March 1969) Pakistan 0–8Iraq  (Amman,Jordan; 28 May 1993) | |||
| AFC Challenge Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in2006) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2006) | ||
| Asian Games | |||
| Appearances | 5 (first in1954) | ||
| Best result | Sixth place (1954) | ||
| SAFF Championship | |||
| Appearances | 12 (first in1993) | ||
| Best result | Third place (1997) | ||
Medal record | |||
| Website | pff | ||
ThePakistan national football team (Urdu:پاکستان قومی فٹ بال ٹیم) representsPakistan in men's internationalfootball inFIFA-authorized events and is controlled by thePakistan Football Federation, the governing body forfootball in Pakistan. Pakistan became a member of FIFA in 1948 and joined theAsian Football Confederation in 1954.
Pakistan's national team debuted in 1950 and has yet to qualify for theFIFA World Cup finals. Pakistan has never qualified for any major tournament outside the South Asian region, although on regional level the team has won the1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, and has achieved gold at theSouth Asian Games in1989 and1991. 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 organization of the game and the administration's lack of attention to football.[7] Football has also struggled to gain popularity in Pakistan largely due to the heavy influence ofcricket in South Asia.[8]
Shortly after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, thePakistan Football Federation (PFF) was created, andMuhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Patron-in-Chief. PFF received recognition fromFIFA in early 1948.[9]
Pakistan facedIran in their first official international game inTehran on 27 October 1950, losing 5–1 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.[9] Pakistan also engaged in unofficial friendly matches during the tour, losing against Tehran'sTaj by 1–6 scoreline and drew 2–2 against a team fromIsfahan.[9] The next month, the team toured Iraq, where due to theIraqi FA's inability to gather a full national team, Pakistan played an unofficial friendly against the clubHaris al-Maliki resulting in a 1–1 draw.[10]
Pakistan's next international outing came in the1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament where the team finished as joint winner along withIndia 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.[11][12] The same year, Pakistan again played against Iran in home venue, the match ended in a goalless draw.[9]
During the early 1950s, Pakistan played internationally in the followingAsian Quadrangular Football Tournament editions which were played in Burma in1953, India in1954,East Pakistan in1955.[9] The team made its first appearance at the1954 Asian Games inManila, Philippines, whereMasood Fakhri had most notably scored a hat-trick, and became the first player fromPakistan to do so as Pakistan thumpedSingapore 6–2 in a group match.[9]
The Pakistan Football Federation became one of the 13 founding members of theAsian Football Confederation on 8 May 1954.[13] Initially scheduled to play againstIsrael in the inaugural1956 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, the team withdrew along withAfghanistan due to reluctance to host the Israeli team.[14] However, in 1956, the team touredCeylon, Singapore and China, and two years later featured at the1958 Asian Games in Japan. In 1959 after a tour to Burma, Pakistan finally decided to participate in the1960 Asian Cup qualifiers hosted by India inKerala, where Pakistan facedIran,India andIsrael twice each in the qualifiers.[9] Although Israel managed to qualify by topping the group, Pakistan achieved a memorable victory overIran by 4–1, a win over rivalsIndia by 0–1, and managing to secure a draw againstIsrael, finishing in third place in the group, ahead of hosts India but behind Iran.[15]
Pakistan had participated in various friendly tournaments in the early 1960s, with theMerdeka Cup hosted in Malaysia after the country first participation in1960. Pakistan recorded a 7–0 victory overThailand, and a 3–1 win overJapan.[17][18] Two years later in the1962 Merdeka Tournament, Pakistan ended runner up after falling toSingapore by 1–2 in the final.[19]
During theChina national team tour in Pakistan in 1963, the first test inDhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) ended in a 0–0 tie. The second match inPeshawar ended in a 3–2 victory for Pakistan, with the third fixture inLahore ending in another 1–1 draw. The final fourth match inKarachi ended in a 2–0 defeat for Pakistan.[20][18] The1964 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.[18]
In 1965 after a tour toCeylon involving several test matches, they played in the inaugural1965 RCD Cup and finished third. In the 1960s, the national team also hosted several teams fromSoviet Union andDallas Tornados for unofficial test matches.[18] In March 1967, the national team played a four-match test series againstSaudi Arabia inLyallpur,Sukkur,Hyderabad andKarachi, winning and losing once, and drawing twice.[21] Months later, Pakistan lost theirAsian Cup qualifiers againstBurma andCambodia and drew their final match againstIndia. They then hosted the second1967 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 againstIraq and a record 9–1 defeat byIran.[22] This was before another disappointment at the1969 and1970 RCD Cup editions.[23]
Despite the game's growth in the 1960s, Pakistan did not actively participate in the Asian Games football tournaments held in1962,1966, and1970 due to financial constraints.[18] 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.[18]
Following the1971 Bangladesh Liberation War,East Pakistan became the independent nation ofBangladesh. This separation also led to the loss of theDhaka First Division League, which had provided a higher standard of competition and professionalism than was typically found inWest Pakistan, often drawing leading players from West Pakistan and functioned alongside theNational Football Championship as a key competitive platform.[18]
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 againstChina ending in a 4–7 defeat.[18]
In the early 1970s the national side participated at the1974 RCD Cup and the1974 Asian Games. The most notable result in this period included a 2–2 draw againstTurkey at the former and a 5–1 win againstBahrain at the latter. Two years later, Pakistan held the inaugural1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament in Karachi.[18]
After several years of competitive football inactivity, in the1981 King's Cup, Pakistan secured a goalless draw againstSemarang fromIndonesia. After a loss toThailand, they gained a 3–2 victory againstMalaysia and although they lost a close game against1 August from China, they were able to win 1–0 in their final game againstSingapore.[18]
Pakistan hosted the1982 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament involvingIran,Bangladesh,Oman,Nepal and the second stringPakistan Blues. TheGreen Shirts started off with a 2–0 win overNepal. They then lost toIran, but came back and beatBangladesh 2–1. The last game againstOman 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 the1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification, losing 4 out of 5 games, the only victory coming againstNorth Yemen 4–1.[24]
The national team hosted another1985 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament, this time inviting North Korea XI, Indonesia Youth,Bangladesh andNepal. A goalless draw against the North Koreans boosted the side, as they beatNepal by one goal. However, they lost in the final two games againstBangladesh and Indonesia. In the1985 South Asian Games, Pakistan ended fourth after losing a penalty shoot out toNepal in the third place match.
After participating at the1986 Fajr International Tournament in Iran, the team finished runners-up at the1986 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament involvingChina,Sri Lanka,Nepal and a South Korean XI. In the1986 Asian Games, Pakistan lost all their games.
In 1987 after an unsuccessful campaign at the1988 Summer Olympics Qualification against Nepal at away venue, the side was more successful at the1987 South Asian Games, winning the bronze medal match againstBangladesh 1–0. In 1988, after losing the1988 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Pakistan began with their first ever participation for the1990 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 the1989 South Asian Games, beatingBangladesh 1–0 in the final, from a solitary goal byHaji Abdul Sattar in the dying minutes of the game.[26]
Pakistan had another early exit in the1990 Asian Games, losing all three games. In the1991 South Asian Games however, Pakistan beat theMaldives in the final 2–0 to win their second gold, from goals scored byQazi Ashfaq andMuhammad Nauman Khan.[28] In 1992, the team lost all matches at the1992 AFC Asian Cup qualification and the1992 Jordan International Tournament. After again ending unsuccessful at the1994 FIFA World Cup qualification in 1993, the team hosted the inaugural1993 SAARC Gold Cup inLahore, finishing fourth. At the1993 South Asian Games, they were unable to get past the group stage.
Pakistan went out of the1995 SAARC Gold Cup group stage on goal difference. The team lost all theirAsian Cup andWorld Cup qualifying games. Pakistan came third in the1997 SAFF Cup, thanks to a 1–0 victory over Sri Lanka in the third place playoff. The1999 SAFF Cup saw Pakistan finish bottom of their group, and Pakistan also failed to get out of the group stage of the final1999 South Asian Games to hold full internationals.[26]
Pakistan were unable to win any of their2000 Asian Cup qualifiers. The following year Pakistan achieved their first point in the2002 World Cup qualification, thanks to a hat-trick byGohar Zaman in a 3–3 draw againstSri Lanka, but all other matches ended in defeat.[29][30]
In 2002, Pakistan played in an unsuccessful four match series against Sri Lanka. At the2003 SAFF Cup, under the inspiration of the attacking midfielderSarfraz 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.[26] Pakistan finished fourth, losing 2–1 in extra time toIndia in the third place playoff.[26] Later in the year, Pakistan won their firstAsian Cup qualifier with a 3–0 overMacao, but still were unable to qualify. They rounded off the year with defeats toKyrgyzstan in theWorld Cup qualifiers.
2004 saw changes in Pakistan football, with a new administration in place by this time and anew 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 theGreen Shirts,[31][32] followed by the reach in the semi-finals of the2005 SAFF Cup, losing against defending championBangladesh by 0–1 margin.
The Pakistan team lost their first twoAsian Cup qualifiers in 2006, in between which they took part in the first2006 AFC Challenge Cup. They failed to get past the group stage, but beat Kyrgyzstan 1–0.[33] Back at the Asian Cup qualifiers, they lost their remaining fixtures. In the2010 World Cup qualifiers in 2007, they fell to a heavy defeat by the Asian championsIraq, losing 7–0 on aggregate across the two legs after drawing 0–0 in the second round.[34] In 2008, Pakistan travelled toNepal for two friendlies before taking on the2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualification. Although they won againstChinese Taipei 2–1 in the first match, and beatGuam 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 the2008 SAFF Championship, Pakistan failed to go beyond the group stages, losing to Maldives 3–0, India 2–1 and Nepal 4–1, which signaled the end ofAkhtar Mohiuddin's tenure as head coach.[35] After Mohiuddin's departure,George Kottan was hired and the veteran tactician took the team to the2009 SAFF Championship. The side were defeated 1–0 by Sri Lanka, before drawing 0–0 with Bangladesh asAdnan Ahmed missed a late penalty to seal a win. Pakistan won againstBhutan 7–0 in their last game.[36]
Kottan was soon sacked in February 2010, Pakistan had no senior games during the entire calendar year. For the2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification in 2011, coachTariq Lutfi was called up once more and failed to deliver. Defeats such as the 3–0 againstTurkmenistan and 3–1 against India meant that the side were already out of the qualifiers despite beating Chinese Taipei by 2–0. Later in the2014 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 the2014 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 coachZaviša Milosavljević taking over in November 2011 right before the2011 SAFF Championship.[37] 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.
2012's sole game was witnessed in November againstSingapore, who thrashed Pakistan 4–0 at home. Pakistan started 2013 well, winning two games against Nepal with identical 1–0 margins.[38][39] 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 the2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification in Bishkek, losing out 1–0 toTajikistan in injury-time.Pakistan also lost 1–0 against the Kyrgyzstan after scoring in the 1st minute, but comfortably beatMacau 2–0.[40]
Pakistan played a friendly againstAfghanistan in August, losing 3–0 without their foreign-based players. Coach Zaviša Milosavljević was controversially sacked and replaced by Bahrain'sMohammad Al-Shamlan, who acted as a coaching consultant toShahzad Anwar in the2013 SAFF Championship. The Shaheens lost their first game 1–0 to India after an own-goal fromSamar Ishaq. Against hosts Nepal,Hassan Bashir scored an early goal, only to see 15-year-oldBimal Gharti Magar level things in injury-time. However, Pakistan beat Bangladesh 2–1 but failed to advance to the semi-finals.[41] The team participated at the2013 Philippine Peace Cup at the end of the year.
For Pakistan's campaign for the2018 FIFA World Cup, they were to faceYemen inRound 1 in theAFC qualifying section. In the first match, Pakistan lost 3–1.[42] For the second match, Pakistan drew 0–0, eliminating Pakistan from the tournament on aggregate.[43]
Pakistan was suspended from all football activities by FIFA on 10 October 2017,[44] after the controversial tenure of the PFF president and politicianMakhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, widely described as a "feudal lord of Pakistani football".[45][46]
For three years since March 2015, the top division of thePakistan Premier League remained suspended because of the crisis created due to his actions, along with the men's senior team,[46] 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.[46][47][48]
FIFA restored membership of PFF on 13 March 2018.[49]
Pakistan went to Bangladesh to take part in2018 SAFF Cup which started in September 2018 which was their first FIFA recognized tournament after a span of 3 years.[46] Pakistan played its first match of the event against Nepal which ended in a 2–1 win.[50] 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.[51] Pakistan faced arch rivals India in semi-final and were ultimately knocked out by 3–1.[52]
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.
Disappointment would soon strike again as Pakistan lost its chance to pass the2022 FIFA qualification, losing againstCambodia twice in the first round and was eliminated.[53] The preliminary camp for the matches were controversially organised by two different federations.Faisal Saleh Hayat-ledPakistan 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 theSupreme Court.[54]
Pakistan were once again suspended from all football activities by FIFA on 7 April 2021.[55][56] The suspension was lifted on 29 June 2022.[57]
Pakistan made their comeback by playing a friendly match againstNepal in November 2022, losing 0–1 in a late minute goal.[58] They played a second friendly match againstMaldives in March 2023 losing 0–1.[59]
Pakistan subsequently took part in the2023 Mauritius Four Nations Cup featuringMauritius,Kenya,Djibouti and the2023 SAFF Championship alongsideIndia,Kuwait and Nepal in the group stages, losing all six matches and finishing last in their group in each competition.[60]
On 27 July 2023, the draw for the first round of the2026 FIFA World Cup qualification took place in which Pakistan were drawn once again againstCambodia, followed by the appointment of the English coachStephen Constantine.[61] In the first leg inPhnom Penh, Pakistan contested in a goalless 0–0 draw.[62] Pakistan won their second leg beating Cambodia 1–0 inIslamabad, due to a goal byHarun 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.[63]
Following the victory in Islamabad, the Shaheens were drawn in a group withSaudi Arabia,Jordan, andTajikistan. Being the 193rd ranked team, Pakistan were the lowest-ranked team in the qualifiers,[64] and terminated the campaign losing all the games in the group.[65]
Pakistan was 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.[66] The suspension was lifted on 2 March 2025 after the PFF agreed to adopt the FIFA and AFC approved constitution.[67]
The Pakistan national team's home kit has always been a green shirt and white shorts. The colours are derived from theflag of Pakistan which is a green field with a whitecrescent moon and five-rayed star at its centre, and a vertical white stripe at the hoist side.[68] 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 supplier | Period | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 1950–2000 | |
 Sapphire Sports | 2001 | [69] |
| National Bank | 2005 | [70] |
| Roshi Sports | 2007 | |
| Vision | 2010–2013 | [71] |
| Forward | 2013–2015 | [72] |
| None[note 4] | 2015–2017 | |
| Joshila | 2018–2021 | [73] |
| None[note 5] | 2021–2022 | |
| Denim Studio | 2022–2023 | |
| Gym Armour | 2023–present | [74] |
For the first fifty years of their existence, Pakistan played their home matches at variousmulti-purpose stadiums all around the country, particularly inKarachi. TheHockey Club stadium hosted the1974 RCD Cup and the inaugural1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament.[75] The consequent1982 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament was held at the cricketNational Stadium,[76][77] while the1985 edition was held at theQayyyum Stadium inPeshawar.[78]
Although the Pakistan Football Federation doesn't own any stadium to date,[79] since the 1980s Pakistan plays majority of their home matches at theJinnah Sports Stadium in the capitalIslamabad which first hosted the1986 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament, and where the senior team won the1989 South Asian Games.[80] By the 1990s, theRailway Stadium inLahore also served as one of the primary venues which also hosted the inaugural1993 SAARC Gold Cup.[81]
By the 2000s, several alternative stadiums emerged such as Karachi'sPeople's Football Stadium and thePunjab Stadium in Lahore located near the headquarters of thePakistan Football Federation.[82]
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.
In theQuaid-e-Azam International Tournament, two Pakistan national teams usually participated, the Pakistan national football team under the name ofPakistan Greens, and thePakistan national B team under the name ofPakistan Reds in1976,Pakistan Blue in1982, andPakistan White in1985,1986 and 1987.[83] 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 developingSouth Asian countries, both Nepal (Nepal B) and Bangladesh (Bangladesh B) had second string team's.
In June 1993, thePakistan Football Federation sent an alternate team, designated as "Pakistan A", to the1993 ECO Cup held inTehran,Iran, while the main national team was participating in the1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The ECO Cup took place from 6 to 14 June 1993, between two rounds of the group A qualifiers including Pakistan, held from 22 to 30 May (in Jordan) and 12–20 June (in China).[84][85] The ECO Cup squad was managed by a completely different coaching staff, with former international playersMuhammad Latif and Abdul Ghafoor Ajiz at the helm, and captained by forward Lal Muhammad Lalo, while the main national team at the World Cup qualifiers was led byMuhammad Aslam Japani. Few players from that team such as Adeel Sarfraz Butt and Iftikhar Ghani were later selected for the second phase of the qualifiers in China.[86] At the inaugural1993 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.[87]
Pakistan's arch-rivals in several sports including football areIndia.[88][89][90] The two teams first met at the1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, which ended in a goalless draw and both teams crowned champions of the tournament. India first won at the consequent1953 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament with a 1–0 win, withNeville D'Souza scoring a goal. Pakistan men's football team recorded its first official win over India at the1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification withAbdullah Rahi netting the winner.[91] Currently, Pakistan has won three games, there have been eight draws and sixteen wins for India among the 27 games played so far.[92] 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.[93]
Pakistan is currentlyrivals withAfghanistan in many sports, including cricket and football. The national teams of Pakistan and Afghanistan regularly held sporting events in early years, but diplomatic ties were cut after theSoviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The ensuing civil war and political instability in Afghanistan prevented the two sides from meeting again until 2003.[94] Due to thehistorical, cultural and political relationship between the two countries, contests against Pakistan generate much enthusiasm amongst Afghan football fans on account of their mutual relations and have been referred to as a "rivalry",[94][95][96] although the interest in Pakistan toward the rivalry and for football in general is more muted.[97]
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
v Pakistan| 25 March 2025 (2025-03-25)2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification | Syria | 2–0 | Pakistan | Al Hofuf, Saudi Arabia[note 6] |
| 21:00 UTC+3 | Report Report (AFC) | Stadium:Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Attendance: 1,217 Referee:Sivakorn Pu-Udom (Thailand) |
v Pakistan| 10 June2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification | Myanmar | 1–0 | Pakistan | Yangon, Myanmar |
| 17:00 UTC+6:30 |
| Report Report (AFC) | Stadium:Thuwunna Stadium Attendance: 22,000 Referee:Zhang Lei (China) |
v
Afghanistan| 9 October 20252027 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) |
v Pakistan| 14 October 20252027 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) |
v Syria| 18 November 2025 (2025-11-18)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) |
v Myanmar| 31 March 20262027 AFC Asian Cup qualification | Pakistan | v | Myanmar | Islamabad, Pakistan |
| --:-- | Stadium:Jinnah Sports Stadium |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Nolberto Solano |
| Assistant coaches | Adeel Rizki |
| Tanveer Ahmed | |
| Muhammad Aghar | |
| Goalkeeper coach | Muhammad Aslam Khan |
| Fitness coach |  Jorge Castañeira |
| Team manager | Shahzaib Khan |
The following players were named in the squad for the2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification againstSyria on 18 November.
Caps and goals are correct as of 18 November 2025, after the match againstSyria.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GK | Adam Khan | (2005-10-24)24 October 2005 (age 20) | 1 | 0 |  Blackburn Rovers U21 | |
| 1GK | Hassan Ali | (2003-02-23)23 February 2003 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | WAPDA | |
| 1GK | Usman Ali | (2004-06-10)10 June 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | POPO FC | |
| 2DF | Muhammad Umar Hayat | (1996-09-22)22 September 1996 (age 29) | 22 | 1 | WAPDA | |
| 2DF | Haris Zeb | (2001-05-15)15 May 2001 (age 24) | 3 | 0 |  Auckland City FC | |
| 2DF | Abdullah Shah | (2001-02-06)6 February 2001 (age 24) | 7 | 0 | WAPDA | |
| 2DF | Abdullah Iqbal(Captain) | (2002-07-27)27 July 2002 (age 23) | 19 | 0 |  Mjällby | |
| 2DF | Waqar Baloch | (1996-03-02)2 March 1996 (age 29) | 5 | 0 | Khan Research Laboratories | |
| 2DF | Junaid Shah | (2003-03-23)23 March 2003 (age 22) | 7 | 0 | SA Gardens | |
| 2DF | Mohib Ullah | (2005-05-23)23 May 2005 (age 20) | 5 | 0 | Aino FC | |
| 3MF | Alamgir Ghazi | (1998-05-09)9 May 1998 (age 27) | 18 | 0 | Thimphu City | |
| 3MF | Etzaz Hussain | (1993-01-27)27 January 1993 (age 32) | 3 | 1 |  Odd | |
| 3MF | Rahis Nabi | (1999-04-16)16 April 1999 (age 26) | 19 | 1 | Halesowen Town | |
| 3MF | Tufail Shinwari | (2006-05-10)10 May 2006 (age 19) | 2 | 0 | Karachi United | |
| 3MF | Mohammad Hayan Khattak | (2003-10-06)6 October 2003 (age 22) | 1 | 0 | POPO FC | |
| 3MF | Ali Uzair | (1996-10-14)14 October 1996 (age 29) | 21 | 0 | WAPDA | |
| 4FW | Otis Khan | (1995-09-05)5 September 1995 (age 30) | 12 | 0 |  Kelantan Red Warrior | |
| 4FW | Kaleemullah Khan | (1992-09-20)20 September 1992 (age 33) | 27 | 4 | Free agent | |
| 4FW | Shayak Dost | (2002-05-01)1 May 2002 (age 23) | 16 | 0 | WAPDA | |
| 4FW | Ahmed Faraz Gulzari | (2007-06-25)25 June 2007 (age 18) | 3 | 0 |  Melbourne City Youth | |
| 4FW | Umar Nawaz | (2008-11-01)1 November 2008 (age 17) | 1 | 0 | Wrexham A.F.C. Youth | |
| 4FW | Moin Ahmed | (2003-11-28)28 November 2003 (age 21) | 5 | 0 | Khan Research Laboratories | |
| 4FW | Abdul Arshad | (2003-02-26)26 February 2003 (age 22) | 11 | 0 |  Brønshøj Boldklub | |
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 | Saqib Hanif | (1994-04-23)23 April 1994 (age 31) | 10 | 0 |  New Radiant | v. Afghanistan; 14 October 2025 |
| GK | Yousuf Butt | (1989-10-18)18 October 1989 (age 36) | 31 | 0 | Karlslunde IF | v. Myanmar; 10 June 2025 |
| GK | Abdul Basit Ghafoor | (1990-07-01)1 July 1990 (age 35) | 0 | 0 | New Radiant | v. Syria; 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Mohammad Fazal | (2002-05-29)29 May 2002 (age 23) | 6 | 0 | Nordic United | v. Afghanistan; 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Haseeb Khan | (2000-04-04)4 April 2000 (age 25) | 6 | 0 | Pakistan Air Force | v. Afghanistan; 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Mamoon Moosa Khan | (2000-11-28)28 November 2000 (age 24) | 10 | 0 | POPO FC | v. Myanmar; 10 June 2025 |
| DF | Abdul Rehman | (2008-02-25)25 February 2008 (age 17) | 2 | 0 | POPO FC | v. Myanmar; 10 June 2025 |
| DF | Easah Suliman | (1998-01-26)26 January 1998 (age 27) | 9 | 0 |  Sumgayit | v. Syria; 25 March 2025PRE |
| MF | Syed Ali Raza | (2004-08-09)9 August 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | | v. Afghanistan; 14 October 2025 |
| MF | Umair Ali | (1999-05-17)17 May 1999 (age 26) | 3 | 0 | Pakistan Army | v. Myanmar; 10 June 2025 |
| MF | Harun Hamid | (2003-11-10)10 November 2003 (age 22) | 15 | 1 |  Flota Świnoujście | v. Myanmar; 10 June 2025 |
| MF | Ali Zafar | (2007-08-28)28 August 2007 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | POPO FC | v. Syria; 25 March 2025 |
| MF | Toqeer Ul Hassan | (2001-08-25)25 August 2001 (age 24) | 0 | 0 | SA Gardens | v. Syria; 25 March 2025 |
| FW | McKeal Abdullah | (2005-07-07)7 July 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 0 | Mansfield Town U21 | v. Afghanistan; 14 October 2025 |
| FW | Adeel Younas | (2006-03-23)23 March 2006 (age 19) | 5 | 0 | POPO FC | v. Afghanistan; 14 October 2025 |
| FW | Fareed Ullah | (2001-01-01)1 January 2001 (age 24) | 10 | 0 | Abu Muslim | v. Myanmar; 10 June 2025 |
| FW | Ali Haider Shah | (2003-03-02)2 March 2003 (age 22) | 1 | 0 | Hellerup IK | v. Myanmar; 10 June 2025 |
| FW | Imran Kayani | (2001-12-24)24 December 2001 (age 23) | 7 | 0 | Whitehawk | v. Syria; 25 March 2025 |
| ||||||
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| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haroon Yousaf | 49 | 3 | 1992–2003 |
| 2 | Jaffar Khan | 47 | 0 | 2001–2013 |
| 3 | Samar Ishaq | 44 | 3 | 2006–2013 |
| 4 | Zafar Iqbal | 40 | 1 | 1985–1995 |
| Muhammad Essa | 40 | 11 | 2001–2009 | |
| 6 | Tanveer Ahmed | 31 | 3 | 1999–2008 |
| Yousuf Butt | 31 | 0 | 2012–present | |
| 8 | Sharafat Ali | 30 | 12 | 1984–1992 |
| Muhammad Tariq Hussain | 30 | 0 | 1987–2003 | |
| 10 | Hassan Bashir | 29 | 9 | 2012–2023 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muhammad Umer | 14 | — | — | 1956–1965 |
| 2 | Sharafat Ali | 12 | 30 | 0.4 | 1984–1992 |
| 3 | Moosa Ghazi | 11 | — | — | 1955–1967 |
| Muhammad Essa | 11 | 40 | 0.28 | 2001–2009 | |
| 5 | Masood Fakhri | 10 | — | — | 1952–1955 |
| 6 | Hassan Bashir | 9 | 29 | 0.31 | 2012–2023 |
| 7 | Qayyum Changezi | 7 | — | — | 1955–1963 |
| Arif Mehmood | 7 | 21 | 0.33 | 2005–2012 | |
| 9 | Ghulam Sarwar | 6 | 16 | 0.38 | 1984–1992 |
| Muhammad Nauman Khan | 6 | 14 | 0.43 | 1991–1997 | |
| Sarfraz Rasool | 6 | 23 | 0.26 | 1997–2003 |
| Player | Tournament |
|---|---|
| Moideen Kutty | |
| Nabi Chowdhury | |
| Abdul Ghafoor | |
| Muhammad Naveed | |
| Mateen Akhtar | |
| Jaffar Khan |
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | ||
| 1930 to1938 | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||
| 1950 to1986 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
 1990 | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | |||||||||
 1994 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 36 | ||||||||||
 1998 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 22 | ||||||||||
  2002 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 29 | ||||||||||
 2006 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||||
 2010 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | ||||||||||
 2014 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||
 2018 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||
  2026 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 26 | ||||||||||
   2030 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
 2034 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | 1 | 5 | 34 | 15 | 148 | ||
| AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
 1956 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||
 1960 | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | |||||||
 1964 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||
| 1968 | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||||||
| 1972 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||
| 1976 | ||||||||||||||
 1980 | ||||||||||||||
 1984 | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 14 | |||||||
| 1988 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | ||||||||
 1992 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||
 1996 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | ||||||||
 2000 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | ||||||||
 2004 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||
  2007 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 23 | ||||||||
| 2011 | Did not enter | AFC Challenge Cup | ||||||||||||
| 2015 | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||
| 2027 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 30 | ||||||||
| Total | — | 0/19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 51 | 5 | 7 | 39 | 26 | 135 |
TheAFC 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 | |
 2006 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | No qualification | ||||||
 2008 | Did not qualify | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 10 | ||||||||
 2010 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |||||||||
 2012 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2014 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 1/5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 21 | |
| SAFF Championship record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 1993 | Fourth place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| 1995 | Group stage | 5th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1997 | Third place | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1999 | Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | |
| 2003 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Semi-finals | 4th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2008 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | |
| 2009 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2011 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2013 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| 2015 | Withdrew | ||||||||
| 2018 | Semi-finals | 4th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | |
| 2021 | Suspended | ||||||||
| 2023 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | |
| Total | Third place | 12/14 | 39 | 12 | 8 | 19 | 32 | 52 | |
| Asian Games record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1951 | Did not enter | |||||||
 1954 | Round 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | |
| 1958 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 1962 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1966 | ||||||||
| 1970 | ||||||||
 1974 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 13 | |
| 1978 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1982 | ||||||||
 1986 | Round 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 15 | |
| 1990 | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 16 | |
| 1994 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1998 | ||||||||
| 2002 to present | SeePakistan national under-23 football team | |||||||
| Total | 5/13 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 18 | 52 | |
| South Asian Games record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 1984 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1985 | Fourth place | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| 1987 | Third place | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1989 | Champions | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1991 | Champions | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1993 | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1995 | Withdrew | |||||||
| 1999 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | |
| 2004 to present | SeePakistan national under-23 football team | |||||||
| Total | 6/8 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 20 | |
| RCD Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 1965 | Third place | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |
| 1967 | Third place | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | |
 1969 | Third place | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| 1970 | Third place | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | |
| 1974 | Third place | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Total | 5/6 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 38 | |
Regional[edit]
| Friendly[edit]
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