Islamabad: Pakistan is set to debut in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers, marking a historic first for the country in continental futsal competition. The journey begins with the official group draw on June 26 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where Pakistan joins 31 other nations.
The qualifiers will occur in a centralised league format from September 20 to 24. Teams are divided into eight groups—seven groups of four and one group of three. Pakistan has been placed in Pot 4 alongside other debutant or lower-ranked teams like Bangladesh and India. The seeding follows FIFA’s Futsal Men’s World Rankings, where Pakistan is currently unranked.
Despite being new to the futsal scene, Pakistan sees this tournament as a golden opportunity for international exposure and the chance to earn its first-ever ranking points.
The competition includes top futsal nations such as Iran (World No. 5), Thailand (11), Japan (13), and Uzbekistan (23), all of whom have participated in every edition of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup since 1999. The draw, scheduled for 3 PM Malaysia time on June 26, has sparked excitement among Pakistani fans eager to witness their team’s entry onto the Asian stage.
Only the top team from each group and the seven best second-placed teams will qualify for the 18th edition of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Finals, to be held in Indonesia in January 2026.
While the challenge is steep, the Pakistani side hopes to pull off surprises and lay the foundation for future success in the fast-growing futsal circuit.
