FIFA President Gianni Infantino has accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan following a meeting with Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The discussion, held in Washington DC, focused on Pakistan’s sporting potential and the rising interest in football across the country.
Naqvi, who has also overseen recent efforts to revive football governance in Pakistan, described the meeting as “excellent,” noting that Infantino expressed enthusiasm about visiting the country in the near future.
“We discussed the immense potential of sports in Pakistan — especially the growing popularity of football following cricket,” Naqvi wrote in a post on X.
Washington DC : Had an excellent meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. We discussed the immense potential of sports in Pakistan — especially the growing popularity of football following cricket. Extended a warm invitation to visit Pakistan, which he graciously accepted… pic.twitter.com/DB8p6yJZF8
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) June 20, 2025
Infantino’s visit is expected to reinforce FIFA’s support for Pakistan’s re-emergence on the international football stage, following a period of administrative turbulence.
FIFA formally lifted its suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) earlier this year after the PFF Congress unanimously approved constitutional reforms.
The suspension, imposed in February 2025, stemmed from the federation’s earlier refusal to adopt electoral reforms aligned with FIFA governance standards. The matter was resolved on 2 March, when the Congress ratified the revised constitution in line with recommendations from both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
With the suspension lifted, Pakistan has regained eligibility to compete in international football competitions.
Shahid Khokhar, a member of the PFF Normalisation Committee, confirmed the development and praised the reforms as a necessary step toward institutional stability.
Infantino’s upcoming visit is likely to spotlight ongoing efforts to grow football in Pakistan, a country long dominated by cricket but showing increasing grassroots enthusiasm for the world’s most popular sport.
It also comes at a time when global football bodies are seeking to expand the game’s reach across new and emerging markets.
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