There is an enduring irony: Pakistan manufactures some of the footballs that captivates nearly a quarter of the world’s population, about 1.5 billion stadium spectators, television viewers and digital audiences, during the five-week FIFA World Cup, yet has never produced a team capable of qualifying for the tournament despite the sport’s growing popularity.
Still, the quadrennial spectacle delivers modest economic dividends through higher exports and domestic sales of footballs, sportswear and accessories, along with limited spillover gains.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb highlighted growth in sports goods exports during a recent review of the country’s economic performance. However, none in the government’s economic team responded to queries on why Pakistan continues to fall short of fully realising the sports economic potential.
According to private sector sources, Pakistan experiences a modest rise in economic activity during the FIFA World Cup despite persistent challenges. However, some observers believe the actual gains exceed official estimates, as much of the increased demand for football and sports merchandise is met by the undocumented informal sector.
The World Cup triggers a measurable uptick in Pakistan’s export of sports goods and related sectors, which remain below potential
“The expanding 48-team format, featuring 104 matches across host nations, the US, Canada and Mexico over 39 days, has created a demand spurt, lifting Pakistan’s exports of sports goods, gears and accessories”, noted an analyst.
“Unfortunately, Pakistan’s national football team, currently ranked 198th, has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. The men’s squad, however, continues to compete in FIFA-affiliated events, like AFC Asian qualifiers and recently won the 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament”, he added.
Several private sector sources said Pakistan is now eyeing to benefit significantly from the FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to make heavy investments in sports infrastructure and supporting logistics over the coming years.
Younus Dagha, former Sindh minister and federal secretary and current chairman of KCCI’s Policy Research and Advisory Council, said Sialkot remains a vital part of the global sporting goods supply chain. He noted that the FIFA World Cup boosts global procurement of footballs, jerseys, sportswear, gloves and fan merchandise, creating export opportunities for Pakistani manufacturers.
“Forward Sports leads the sector, with export turnover of about $86.2 million in 2025-26, followed by AKI, Talon Sports, Bola Gema Pakistan, Silver Star Sports and Capital Sports. Most have diversified into footwear, sportswear, bags, gloves, padel and pickleball equipment.”
Mr Dagha said Pakistan’s football exports rose from $65.4 million in FY21 to $188.7m in the 2022 World Cup year, reaching a record $251.4m in FY26 ahead of the 2026 tournament. Sports garments, jerseys and gloves also posted strong growth, benefiting textile exporters such as Style Textile, Interloop and Masood Textile Mills.
Beyond manufacturing, he added, the World Cup stimulates sports retail, apparel, electronics, hospitality, media, broadcasting, digital streaming and telecom sectors through increased consumer spending, advertising, viewership and demand for football-related merchandise.
Ziad Bashir, Executive Director, Gul Ahmed Textile Mills, agreed that the FIFA World Cup generates positive, though largely indirect, economic benefits for Pakistan. He said the biggest beneficiaries are media, advertisers, streaming platforms, broadcasters, restaurants, cafés and other businesses that capitalise on higher viewership and consumer engagement.
He noted that on the manufacturing side, the football and sports goods industry benefits from stronger international demand in the lead-up to the tournament. However, while sales of football jerseys surge domestically, much of the demand is met through smuggled or unlicensed merchandise produced in the undocumented sector.
Consequently, the formal textile and apparel industry captures only a small share of the retail market, as official World Cup merchandise is sourced through global licensed supply chains rather than Pakistani manufacturers.
Majyd Aziz, President, Employers Federation of Pakistan, said that apart from Forward Sports ‘Trionda’ football, Pakistani manufacturers had little presence at the FIFA World Cup. While the tournament typically boost football related sales by 15 to 30 per cent, the 2026 event has delivered only modest commercial gains for Pakistan.
He urged manufacturers to prepare now for the 2030 World Cup, which will feature 104 matches across six countries on three continents. Although Forward Sports is well placed to secure another football contract, a single product cannot significantly raise exports. “Pakistani firms should align product development with FIFA standards, strengthen research, and aggressively market apparel, gloves, training equipment and accessories to participating countries and FIFA. They can’t afford to be complacent if they want to enter the World Cup ecosystem”.
The single biggest non-football beneficiary for Pakistan during the 2030 and especially the 2034 FIFA World Cup could be overseas manpower and services exports, especially to Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 event. Recent reports show that Pakistan is positioning to supply 300,000 to 400,000 workers for the World Cup-linked projects in Saudi Arabia for 2034, covering construction, aviation, tourism and services.
Responding to queries, Fouad Hussain, CEO of Starcrest Communications, said FIFA sells broadcast rights country by country directly to national broadcasters, which explains why South Asian markets, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, were confirmed only in the final weeks before kick-off. FIFA is estimated to earn roughly 40pc of its massive $13bn revenue in the current cycle from the sale of broadcasting rights.
He said media organisations monetise World Cup rights through advertising during live matches, fixed-fee sponsorship packages, pay-TV, cable, satellite and streaming subscriptions, and, in some cases, sublicensing and digital partnerships. FIFA-mandated hydration breaks can also create premium ad slots.
In Pakistan, Tapmad Sports (an over-the-top media streaming platform) and PTV Sports hold the official digital and television rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Tapmad’s model includes paid sports packages through Easypaisa and JazzCash and features such as multi-stream split-screen viewing.
Mr Hussain estimated Tapmad’s advertising revenue at about Rs200 million, with peak single-match digital viewership of 1.4m users. This could rise to 4m for the final matches. PTV Sports’ World Cup advertising spend is estimated at Rs300m, with peak TV viewership projected at about 16m.
He said Pakistan’s football audience is expanding, particularly among young fans in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Lyari and Balochistan. Globally, the World Cup remains a commercial giant, with FIFA projecting over $13bn in 2026-cycle revenue.
A source in the aviation industry said that FIFA World Cup had little impact on Pakistan’s aviation sector, largely because the host countries, the US, Canada and Mexico, are long-haul destinations with relatively restrictive visa requirements, limiting travel from Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, July 6th, 2026