International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Chief of Global Football Development and former Arsenal FC coach Arsène Wenger has highlighted Pakistan's massive untapped potential, emphasising plans to develop a football academy in the country of 250 million people.

 

“Pakistan's population of 250 million people means there is huge potential that we have to develop together, and I met Pakistani people to develop an academy in Pakistan because I think this is the first step, as well as to develop youth football,” Wenger said while speaking to Pakistan TV on the sidelines of the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

 

When asked about visiting Pakistan, he said, “I don't know. I have to see when I go. We have 211 countries and 365 days is very short, but I hope and plan to go.”

 

At the same event, FIFA President Gianni Infantino pledged to visit Pakistan “very soon”, promising to promote football development in the South Asian nation.

 

“Well, I will come to Pakistan actually very soon,” Infantino said. “I promised the prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif]. Because we have now a new president of the [Pakistan Football] Federation who is doing a fantastic job.”

 

The FIFA president described Pakistan as a “great football country”.

 

“We need to bring Pakistan to the head, to the top of Asia for sure,” Infantino said. “Thank you, we are working on that.”

 

Pakistan's relationship with FIFA has grown and evolved over the years. Last month, FIFA appointed Pakistani lawmaker Syeda Amnah Batool to its Institutional Reforms Committee.

 

FIFA Senior Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa visited Pakistan in November last year. During the three-day visit, he discussed football infrastructure development with Pakistani football executives and government officials.

 

Despite having a population of over 250 million, Pakistan has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

 

The country’s highest FIFA ranking came in February 1993 when it reached the 142nd position.

 

Pakistan made history in 2023 by reaching the second round of World Cup qualifiers for the first time, defeating Cambodia before being eliminated after losing to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Tajikistan.