AS evidenced even at this year’s FIFA World Cup, Asian football has risen significantly on the global stage, driven by substantial investments, improved infrastructure and grassroots developments that have allowed nations from West Asia to South Asia to make notable strides in global rankings.

A key catalyst for this transformation has been the Saudi Pro League’s aggressive acquisition of top talent, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who famously predicted that the league would become one of the world’s top five. This ambition was validated when Al Hilal stunned the football world by defeating Manchester City in the FIFA Club World Cup.

This monumental shift in power resulted in the qualification of as many as nine member countries of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to the main round of the 48-nation World Cup.

Ultimately, the historic milestone signals a new era for the beautiful game, one that Asia aims at sustaining by leveraging technology integration, comprehensive youth development programmes and, indeed, stronger regional cooperation.

Ahmed Ali Brohi
Naseerabad

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026