Pakistan football team ruled out of AFC Asian Cup qualifiers after Fifa ban

KARACHI: The Pakistan men’s national football team has been officially ruled out of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifiers following the suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) by global football body Fifa.

In a statement on Monday, the PFF confirmed its exclusion from the tournament, saying, "The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) regrets to inform the football fraternity that the national team will be unable to participate in the final round of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers."

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had previously warned that if FIFA’s suspension of the PFF was not lifted by March 4 — three weeks before Pakistan’s first qualifier against Syria — the team would be considered withdrawn from the competition.

In a letter addressed to the PFF’s Normalisation Committee, the AFC emphasised 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 the PFF’s men’s national team will be considered to have withdrawn from the Competition should the suspension on PFF not be lifted by Tuesday, 4 March 2025,” the letter stated.

Pakistan was placed in Group E alongside Syria, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, with its opening match scheduled for March 25.

The FIFA suspension, imposed on February 6, stripped the PFF of all membership rights, preventing Pakistan’s teams and clubs from taking part in international competitions.

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.

Fifa extends mandate of PFF NC

Separately, the Fifa has extended the mandate of the PFF Normalisation Committee until July 31, 2025.

Saud Azim Hashimi, a member of the existing Fifa-appointed PFF Normalisation Committee, has been appointed as the new chairman by Fifa starting February 16th, 2025.

Saud Hashimi will take charge after existing chairman Haroon Malik’s tenure ends on February 15, 2025, while the other two members, Muhammad Shahid Niaz Khokhar and Haris Azmat will continue to serve on the committee.