FIFA president Infantino to visit Pakistan ‘soon’

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced plans to visit Pakistan in the near future, reaffirming the world governing body’s commitment to supporting the development of football in the country.

Speaking on Thursday on the sidelines of the 56th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Infantino said he had already conveyed his intention to travel to Pakistan to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, signalling a renewed focus on strengthening football structures in the South Asian nation.

Infantino expressed optimism over recent changes within the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), noting that a new leadership setup is in place and moving in the right direction.

“I will come to Pakistan very soon. I promised the prime minister,” Infantino said. “We now have a new president of the federation who is doing a fantastic job.”

The FIFA president described Pakistan as a country with immense footballing potential and stressed his desire to see it rise among Asia’s leading teams.

“Pakistan is a great football country,” he said. “We need to bring Pakistan to the top of Asia for sure. We are working on that.”

Pakistan’s engagement with FIFA has seen noticeable progress in recent months. In December, FIFA appointed Pakistani lawmaker Syeda Amnah Batool to its Institutional Reforms Committee, a move seen as a step toward deeper institutional cooperation.

Earlier, in November 2025, FIFA Senior Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa visited Pakistan, where he held meetings with football officials and government representatives to discuss the development of infrastructure and governance in the sport.