Fifa president says he will visit Pakistan ‘soon’ to promote football

ISLAMABAD: Fifa President Gianni Infantino has said he will visit Pakistan “very soon”, adding that he had promised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif he would make the trip.

“Well, I will come to Pakistan, actually, very soon. I promised the prime minister, because we now have a new president of the federation who is doing a fantastic job,” Infantino said.

Praising Pakistan’s football potential, the Fifa chief said: “Pakistan is a great football country, and we need to bring Pakistan to the head, the top of Asia, for sure.”

“We are working on that. Give every talent a chance, especially Pakistan,” he added.

Fifa’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger also highlighted Pakistan’s population and the scope for grassroots investment through academies and youth football.

“Look, Pakistan is a country of 250 million people, so that means there’s a huge potential that we have to develop together,” said the former manager of Arsenal FC.

“And I met Pakistani people to develop an academy in Pakistan because I think that is the first step, and as well to develop youth football, you know, that’s the second part of what we have to do,” said Wenger.

“With such potential, it is important that you develop your game,” he added.

Asked about his own visit to Pakistan, Wenger said: “I don’t know,” before adding: “I have to see when I go, you know, we are 211 countries, so 365 days is very short, but I hope, I plan to go.”

Infantino and Wenger made the remarks on the sidelines of the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum summit in Davos on Thursday.

Pakistan football has faced prolonged setbacks in recent years due to internal disputes and administrative issues, which resulted in international isolation and repeated interventions by Fifa.

However, the formation of a new leadership structure has helped restore confidence among stakeholders and opened the door for international engagement once again.

Infantino’s planned visit is expected to further strengthen ties between Fifa and Pakistan, with discussions likely to focus on grassroots development, youth programmes and improving football governance.

Officials believe the visit could play a key role in revitalising the sport and unlocking new opportunities for Pakistani football at both domestic and international levels.