Pakistan's win in the 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament is a new beginning for them in football. With cricket being the dominant sport in Pakistan, they have not given much importance to football as of late. Their media does not give much attention to football coverage as well.
Even after a few hours had passed after Pakistan beat bordering nation Afghanistan last night, it did not make the headlines in major Pakistani media. It may be due to a lack of readership regarding football in the country.
Their success in this tournament is their first in 35 years of their football history. Pakistan, where cricket is a much popular sport, previously saw success in football during the 1991 South Asian Federation (SAFF) Games. The event took place at Colombo, with Pakistan claiming the gold medal in football after defeating Maldives 2-0 in the final. This is the first time Pakistan has won a football-only tournament since 1952, where they won a joint champion title with India in the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament which was played under league guidelines.
Pakistan views the 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament as a tournament that has completely changed football for them. The country faced three suspensions from FIFA in the last seven years. Nevertheless, they now have the spirit to promote and change football.
Nolberto Solano's message during the post-game interview he gave to PSM was that Pakistan will not stay relaxed when it comes to football. The former player for Newcastle United and Westham United said that Pakistan is working to secure an opportunity to play in another tournament in the FIFA's international break during late September/early October.
"This young team has proven that Pakistan can move forward in football. They have convinced Pakistan of that. We are quite happy we have won the tournament," said Solano.
"We will need to keep working. We have another challenging tournament in September and October, along with the SAFF Championship in November. We need to move forward with these in mind. We hope these tournaments will prepare us for next year's Asian Qualifiers."
Pakistan does not have a premier football league. Their national team consists of Pakistani players who are playing in various European leagues, Pakistani's who are native to European nations and have familial ties. The 12 players on the squad are from the countries who play in various European divisions.
The most special player of them all is Pakistan's captain Abdullah Iqbal who is a defender from Mjällby AIF, a team in Sweden's highest football league, Allsvenskan.
After the match, Iqbal stated that supporters of Pakistan were given this joy during a time where football is in a difficult spot in the country.
The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has spoken of a new league in the past. The PFF said earlier this week that they are preparing for a district football tournament ahead of the top league.
With Pakistan's win, President of the PFF Syed Mohsen Gilani has announced that the entire team will receive a cash prize.
According to Gilani, with Pakistan's incredible plays in the tournament, new hope has sprung up within supporters of the team. He also said that the win will serve as major progress in their work to revive football in Pakistan.
"This is a moment we have been waiting for for more than 60 years. The absolute honor and credit of making the dream of generations of supporters of Pakistan football goes to the players of the team, the coach and support staff," said Gilani.
