FIFA President Gianni Infantino has shared to Instagram a picture with Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Syed Mohsen Gilani, marking the latest meeting between the two as the country continues its push for greater international involvement in the sport.
“I sat down with Pakistan Football Federation President Syed Mohsen Gilani to chat football and discuss how we can continue to collaborate to ensure his country’s youth get more opportunities to experience the joy of our beautiful game,” he wrote.
The FIFA president also praised Gilani’s plans for the sport in Pakistan. “President Gilani’s vision for Pakistan football is impressive, and he provided updates on our ongoing projects,” Infantino wrote.
He went on to thank Gilani and the PFF team for their efforts and wished them luck for the ongoing FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 and the upcoming FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026.
Gilani took charge of the PFF in May 2025 after winning the federation’s first presidential election in six years. The vote came after years of turmoil at the PFF, which included the appointment of a Normalisation Committee in 2019 and the approval of a new constitution in February 2025.
Since taking over, Gilani has met Infantino on multiple occasions, including at the FIFA Executive Football Summit in Miami in June 2025, where the FIFA president pledged his support for rebuilding football in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s men’s national team is currently competing in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, marking the country’s first-ever appearance in a FIFA tournament outside of World Cup and continental qualifying matches.
The tournament runs from September 24 to October 5, with Pakistan drawn in Division One’s Group B alongside Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. The Green Shirts open their campaign against Thailand on September 26.
Pakistan earned their spot in the competition after winning the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in June 2026, ending a 74-year wait for a football title after beating Afghanistan 2-0 in the final. The performance caught FIFA’s attention and led to Pakistan receiving an invitation to the newly-launched ASEAN Cup as one of three guest nations from outside Southeast Asia.
Pakistan’s women team had already made history earlier in 2025 by taking part in the FIFA Series, becoming the country’s first-ever team to compete in a FIFA event.
Pakistan is also preparing for the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026, scheduled to take place in Baku from October 24 to 30.
