Pakistan returns to international football following FIFA's lifted ban

The Pakistan national football team is set to make their return to international competition when they face Syria in Saudi Arabia on March 25, marking their first match since FIFA lifted their latest suspension on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).

The team's participation in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers was cast into uncertainty after FIFA imposed a suspension last month. The suspension stemmed from the PFF's failure to adopt revisions to its constitution, which would ensure truly fair and democratic elections - an essential step in meeting FIFA's ongoing normalisation process.

This marked the third suspension of the PFF in eight years, following similar bans in 2017 and 2021, both triggered by third-party interference. The 2021 suspension was lifted in June 2022, after the PFF’s normalisation committee regained full control over the federation's operations and finances.

FIFA officially lifted the latest suspension earlier this month, after the PFF approved constitutional amendments that were validated by both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

"The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided on 2 March 2025 to lift the suspension that was imposed on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on 6 February 2025," FIFA confirmed in a statement.

Under the leadership of Stephen Constantine, who guided the team to their first-ever World Cup qualifying round victory in October 2023, Pakistan will look to get off to a fast start in their bid to qualify for the Asian Cup for the first time.

The squad is currently training in Pakistan, with local-based players preparing for the upcoming match. The team’s foreign-based players will join the camp in Saudi Arabia ahead of the game.