LAHORE: Pakistan men’s national team will make their debut in a FIFA-sanctioned event when they compete in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup later this year, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed on Tuesday.

The development, which had emerged in May, was officially announced by the federation as Pakistan were named among the 14 teams set to participate in the tournament scheduled to be held during the extended international window in September and October.

Pakistan are among the eight teams that will feature in the main FIFA ASEAN Cup in Indonesia, alongside Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The Shaheens are one of three invited teams in the competition, with the remaining participants coming from Southeast Asia.

“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,” PFF president Syed Mohsen Gilani said in a statement.

“After the women’s national team participated in the FIFA Series, it is now the turn of our men’s national team to take part in their maiden FIFA event when they feature at the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup.

Gilani said the tournament would provide Pakistan with an opportunity to compete against stronger opposition and gain valuable international experience.

“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 in September/October,” he said.

“It is also a step that reaffirms our commitment to provide our national teams with competitive matches at every opportunity possible.”

The ASEAN Cup will feature two tiers of competition. The main tournament, hosted by Indonesia, will include Pakistan along with seven other teams, while the FIFA ASEAN Challenge Cup will feature Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Timor-Leste along with hosts Hong Kong and China.

Teams will be divided into groups based on their international ranking to ensure competitive balance. Both competitions will follow a single round-robin format, with group winners advancing to the finals and runners-up contesting third-place matches.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the event was created to provide national teams with meaningful competitive opportunities and strengthen football ties in 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.”

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2026