Lahore (TDI): Pakistan’s men’s national football team will make its first appearance in a FIFA-sanctioned international tournament after being confirmed for the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) announced on Tuesday.
The tournament, scheduled to take place during the extended FIFA international window in September and October, will feature 14 teams, with Pakistan among the eight sides competing in the main event to be hosted by Indonesia.
Pakistan will compete alongside Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, and is one of three invited teams participating in the competition.
PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani welcomed the development, describing it as a milestone for Pakistan football. “The Pakistan Football Federation is extremely thankful to FIFA President Gianni Infantino for presenting us with the opportunity to participate in our second-ever FIFA event,” Gilani said in a statement.
He noted that while Pakistan’s women’s national team had previously featured in the FIFA Series, the ASEAN Cup would mark the men’s team’s first-ever participation in a FIFA-sanctioned competition.
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Gilani said the tournament would provide valuable exposure by allowing Pakistan to face stronger opponents in high-level competitive matches.
“The FIFA ASEAN Cup represents a huge opportunity for our men’s team to play high-profile competitive matches against some of the top teams in Southeast Asia during the extended 16-day international window,” he said.
He added that the federation remained committed to ensuring Pakistan’s national teams receive regular international competition.
The inaugural ASEAN Cup will be played in a two-tier format. The main tournament in Indonesia will feature eight teams, while the FIFA ASEAN Challenge Cup will include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Hong Kong, and China.
Teams will be placed into groups based on the FIFA rankings to maintain competitive balance. Both tournaments will follow a single round-robin format, with group winners advancing to the final and runners-up contesting the third-place playoff.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the competition was launched to provide national teams with meaningful international matches while strengthening football cooperation across the region.
“It is time to dream big. We are not content with playing in development competitions,” Gilani said. “Pakistan is ready to mix it with the big boys. Pakistan football has well and truly arrived at the global stage.”
