Pakistan’s Asian Cup qualification in jeopardy after FIFA ban

KARACHI: Pakistan's participation in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers final round hangs in the balance as the national football team faces the consequences of a FIFA-imposed suspension since February 6.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was suspended by FIFA after PFF Congress refused to accept constitutional amendments recommended by FIFA and AFC, leading to the loss of all membership rights. As a result, the country’s football representatives and teams are barred from participating in international competitions until the suspension is lifted.

Pakistan is drawn in Group E of the qualifiers alongside Syria, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, with their first match scheduled against Syria on March 25.

However, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has warned that if the suspension is not lifted by March 4 — three weeks before the opening match — the Pakistan men’s national team will be considered withdrawn from the competition.

In a letter addressed to the PFF’s Normalisation, the AFC emphasized the urgency of resolving the suspension issue. “In order to have sufficient time to prepare for the upcoming first match of AC27QFR on 25 March 2025 with all Competition requirements... the PFF’s men’s national team will be considered to have withdrawn from the Competition should the suspension on PFF not be lifted by Tuesday, 4 March 2025,” the letter stated.

Adding to the crisis, the Pakistan women’s national football team has already pulled out of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, scheduled to begin in late June.

The PFF has not yet issued an official response to the AFC's warning, leaving the future of the Pakistan football team in further uncertainty.