LAHORE: Morocco’s football authority has asked the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to support its bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A high-level Moroccan delegation visited the PFF’s headquarters in Lahore on Saturday to make a formal request.
FIFA member associations will vote on June 13, a day before the opening game of this year’s tournament, to decide the host of the World Cup 2026.
“Morocco is our brotherly country and we welcome its delegation,” PFF President Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat told a joint news conference.
“Pakistan is grateful to our guests, and the PFF is ready to play a positive role in the world football community.”
Mohamed Karmoune, Moroccan ambassador to Pakistan, said: “We are thankful for the warm welcome by the PFF.”
He added: “Pakistan is a respected member of FIFA, and it is important for us to enlist the support of all brotherly countries. We are hopeful to win the bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
The ambassador of Morocco’s 2026 bid, Hicham El-Guerouj, said his country hosting the tournament “will be a wonderful experience for the rest of the world.”
Morocco seeks Pakistan’s support to host FIFA World Cup 2026
Morocco seeks Pakistan’s support to host FIFA World Cup 2026
- FIFA member associations will vote on June 13 to decide the host of the World Cup 2026, and Morocco is one of the candidates
- “The PFF is ready to play a positive role in the world football community,” PFF President Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat told a joint news conference
FIFA appoints Pakistani lawmaker to its reforms committee— state media
- Syeda Amnah Batool is the only Pakistani representative serving on various FIFA committees, says state media
- Pakistan’s ties with FIFA have seen ups and downs, with the global body suspending Islamabad thrice in eight years
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani lawmaker Syeda Amnah Batool has been appointed to FIFA’s Institutional Reforms Committee, making her the sole representative from her country on various committees of the global football body, state media reported on Thursday.
FIFA’s reforms committee determines how the global football body is governed, operates and interacts with member associations and other football stakeholders.
Syeda Amnah Batool is a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. She also serves as focal person to the Prime Minister’s Youth Program.
“The appointment marks a significant achievement for Pakistan in both the sporting and diplomatic spheres, as Syeda Amna Batool becomes the sole Pakistani representative currently serving on various FIFA committees,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan said in a report.
APP said Batool’s appointment reflects FIFA’s renewed confidence in Pakistan’s institutional direction and its constructive role in global football governance.
The development takes place after FIFA Senior Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa’s three-day visit to Pakistan last month. The FIFA official discussed the development of football infrastructure with Pakistani football executives and government officials during his trip.
Pakistan’s relations with FIFA have improved recently, with the global body suspending Pakistan as a member three times over the past eight months. It last suspended Pakistan in February this year after the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) rejected its electoral reforms.
FIFA lifted the suspension a month later in March when the PFF unanimously approved FIFA’s proposed constitutional amendments in an extraordinary meeting.
Football has long been popular among Pakistan’s youth but in recent years participation has grown at the grassroots level amid rising interest in international leagues.
Local tournaments, school competitions, and community clubs across major cities have further fueled enthusiasm for the sport.
