Futsal in Pakistan

Last updated

Futsal in Pakistan
CountryPakistan
Governing body Pakistan Football Federation
National teams Men's national team
Women's national team
International competitions

Futsal, a variant of association football, is a developing sport in Pakistan governed by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). Its growth is largely attributed to the availability of smaller playing spaces, such as school basketball courts, make the game more accessible in urban and affluent areas where standard football grounds are limited or in poor condition. [1] [2] [3] The sport was initially overseen by the Pakistan Soccer Futsal Association, an independent body established in 2014. [4] [5]

Contents

History

The Pakistan Football Federation had planned to hold the first ever National Futsal Championship in December 2010, [6] which was postponed till July 2011 but eventually not held. [7]

Several Pakistani teams also featured in the Neymar Jr's 5 tournament in Brazil. Peshawar's Ghosts FC featured in 2016, [8] and Chitral futsal club Highlanders FC in 2017. [9] [10]

In 2016, the Pakistan Soccer Futsal Federation sent an under-17 team to a tournament in Scotland. [11] In February 2018, the Pakistan Soccer Futsal Federation organised the International Futsal Cup at the Liaquat Gymnasium, Islamabad, comprising foreign teams from Brazil, Turkey, Nepal, Afghanistan, and two local teams named Pakistan Greens and Pakistan Whites. [12] The Brazilian team won the final defeating Pakistan by 12-1. [13] [5] The same year, the Pakistan Soccer Futsal Federation also intended to host the Asian Futsal Championship. [14] [15]

By the early 2020s, the Pakistan Football Federation had failed yet to organise futsal at national level, despite efforts of local clubs and departments to create separate five-a-side teams. [16] [1]

In 2023, the Pakistan Football Federation launched the National Futsal Cup, the first nationwide futsal competition organised under its authority. The event was structured as a five-phase regional circuit, with separate tournaments for men and women held in Lahore, Quetta, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Karachi. Each regional phase crowned its own champions, SA Gardens (men) and MRF (women) in Lahore, [17] Hazara Quetta FC (men) and Hazara Quetta FA (women) in Quetta, [18] Team Eighteen (men) and Smurfs (women) in Islamabad, [19] and Forza FC (men) and Karachi City (women) in Karachi. [20] The PFF had announced that top teams from each phase would later compete in a National Futsal Championship to determine the overall champions. However, that final stage was never held, and the competition effectively ended after the Karachi phase in April 2024. [21] [22]

In January 2025, the Pakistan Football Federation intended to send the first ever women national futsal team to the 2025 AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup qualification, however they withdrew due to financial constraints. [23] The same year however, the men's Pakistan national futsal team debuted at the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualification in October 2025. [24] [25]

National teams

References

  1. 1 2 "Pakistan to hold first ever national futsal tryouts for AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Saudi Arabia". arab.news. Arab News. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Khanani, Mohd (20 September 2010). "Futsal is the new football". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune . Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  3. ↑ Sheikh, Arslan (7 April 2024). "Sports: The Light Of Lyari's Futsal". dawn.com. Dawn . Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  4. ↑ Raheel, Natasha (2 November 2015). "Majid hopes to improve futsal in Pakistan". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune . Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Pakistan must develop indoor facilities for futsal: Enzo". thenews.com.pk. The News International. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  6. ↑ "PFF adds Liaquat Gymnasium as new venue". The Nation. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  7. ↑ Agencies (19 December 2010). "National Futsal Championship postponed: PFF". Dawn. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  8. ↑ Abbasi, Kashif (19 April 2016). "Ghosts FC make Neymar Jr's Five world finals". Dawn. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  9. ↑ Hunzai, Imran Ahmed (25 April 2017). "Highlanders FC wins Neymar Jr's 5, ready for Global Final in Brazil". GBee. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Fatima, Sumbul (8 July 2024). "Footballer Abdullah Shah discusses challenges, growth of football in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "Under-17 futsal team announced". www.thenews.com.pk. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  12. ↑ Khilari. "1st International Futsal Cup 2018 - Khilari". www.khilari.com.pk. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  13. ↑ "Brazil thrash Pakistan to win Int'l Futsal". The Nation. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "Pakistan to host Asian Futsal championship". The Nation. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "Fustal Federation seeks govt help to hold Asian C'ship". The Nation. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  16. ↑ natasha.raheel (21 July 2016). "Star-studded: India's futsal league amazes Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  17. ↑ "SA Garden and MRF crowned champions of 1st Men, Women PFF National Futsal Cup 2023". The Nation. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  18. ↑ "Hazara Quetta FC wins Men's National Futsal Cup Phase-II". The Nation. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  19. ↑ Ahmed, Faiz (5 December 2023). "1st Futsal National Cup 2023 Starts Today". ProPakistani. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  20. ↑ "Forza FC, Karachi City secure Men's and Women's Futsal Championship title in Karachi". The Nation. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  21. ↑ "Rising from the Ashes: Pakistan football flourish in 2023". The Nation. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  22. ↑ "Final phase of Futsal National Cup from April 23". www.thenews.com.pk. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  23. ↑ Lakhani, Faizan (26 December 2024). "Pakistan 'withdraw' from AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup qualifying rounds". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  24. ↑ "Pakistan to make historic debut in AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  25. ↑ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (9 September 2025). "PFF names squad for futsal Asian Cup qualifiers". Dawn. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
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