The Golden Era of Football: Plans Unveiled for FIFA Forward Mini-Pitches and First-Ever 8-Franchise ‘Profession league

By Khuram Shahzad

ISLAMABAD, Jul 09 (APP): Amidst Pakistan’s traditional obsession with cricket, the sport of football is quietly undergoing a historic revolution that has shattered multiple domestic sports records.

 Long plagued by isolation, a severe lack of resources, and administrative crises, the sport has finally found a visionary leader in Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Syed Mohsin Gillani.

As the only PFF president in the country’s history to establish direct and robust personal relations with the top leadership of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Gillani has turned this international “FIFA Diplomacy” into Pakistan football’s greatest weapon for revival.

Thanks to this strategic approach, Pakistan has clinched victories over the last two years that previously seemed like a distant dream.

The country’s national teams have shattered decades of stagnation across all formats. Pakistan won the Diamond Jubilee Tournament in the Maldives, securing its first-ever FIFA-recognized international title in 74 years.

Concurrently, the men’s national team made history by qualifying for the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers for the first time, marking their presence on the global stage, while the women’s national team delivered a memorable performance in the FIFA Series 2026, achieving a record-breaking jump in the global rankings.

At the youth level, the U-19 and U-16 teams secured historic victories in AFC and SAFF tournaments, while the national futsal team made its debut appearances in global competitions in Riyadh and Thailand. These milestones prove that President Mohsin Gillani’s vision, backed by direct cooperation from FIFA leadership, has successfully pulled Pakistan football out of the dark ages and prepared it to shine on the global horizon.

The tangible benefits of President Mohsin Gillani’s direct ties with global football bodies were highlighted by the historic visit of Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Senior Vice President of FIFA and President of the AFC, to Pakistan—a move that restored the country’s international sporting prestige.

 Through these direct channels, joint workshops were organized to align the PFF constitution with international FIFA statutes. Furthermore, bank accounts that had been frozen and inactive for years were restored, bringing 100% financial transparency to the federation’s monetary system.

Operational autonomy was also successfully achieved by permanently blocking any third-party interference in football affairs.

To transition Pakistani players from traditional styles to modern football, the PFF President has signed strategic agreements with major global football powerhouses.

Under Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed with Argentina, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and China, Pakistani players are now receiving world-class technical skills and training.

 Additionally, a landmark agreement with the world-renowned La Liga for youth development and the promotion of local leagues in Pakistan is in its final stages of completion.

Under Mohsin Gillani’s patronage, women’s football has similarly been given a new lease on life. By securing special grants from FIFA, the federation not only established an independent Women’s Football Department but also hosted the country’s first-ever ‘National Women’s Football Symposium,’ opening new avenues for female athletes. At the grassroots level, the foundations of the sport are being reinforced through the ‘Football for Schools’ program, an initiative that is distributing over 150,000 footballs to districts nationwide while providing school teachers with modern, professional coaching training.

The most revolutionary aspect of PFF President Mohsin Gillani’s roadmap is the blueprint for Pakistan’s first official Men’s Professional Football League, which will feature 8 franchise teams.

This league is poised to transform football in Pakistan into a self-sustaining industry and a commercial economy, providing hundreds of local players with permanent employment and sustainable professional careers. Concurrently, work is accelerating across the country on stadium infrastructure and the construction of FIFA Forward Mini-Pitches.

The Pakistan Football Federation’s comprehensive roadmap and stellar two-year performance clearly demonstrate that Pakistan football is no longer in crisis; it is charting a course toward unprecedented growth. President Syed Mohsin Gillani’s sincere leadership and his direct links with FIFA have proven that when intentions are pure and the vision is global, victories follow.