ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan men’s national football team has been officially excluded from the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers after FIFA suspended the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).
The PFF confirmed the decision on Monday, expressing regret over the team’s inability to participate in the upcoming qualifiers. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had previously issued a warning that if the FIFA suspension was not lifted by March 4, Pakistan would be considered withdrawn from the competition.
In a letter to the PFF’s Normalisation Committee, the AFC emphasized the urgency of resolving the suspension, noting that Pakistan would not be eligible to play their first qualifier against Syria on March 25 unless the suspension was lifted by the March 4 deadline.
Placed in Group E alongside Syria, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, Pakistan’s participation in the qualifiers is now in jeopardy. The AFC letter stated, “Should the suspension not be lifted by March 4, 2025, the PFF’s men’s national team will be considered withdrawn from the competition,” with the first match scheduled for March 25, 2025.
The FIFA suspension, which was imposed on February 6, has stripped the PFF of all membership rights, barring Pakistani teams and clubs from competing internationally.
