‘Pakistan is an untapped gold mine of football’
Football has failed to attract the corporate sector's attention the way it should have in a country where it is the most popular sport after cricket.
Football is experiencing a remarkable surge in popularity in Pakistan, tapping into the country's vast and youthful demographic. With an impressive 85 million individuals falling within the 15-30 age bracket, representing over a third of the nation's 250 million population, Pakistan boasts a formidable audience eager to engage with the beautiful game.
However, despite the existence of a potential market, football has failed to attract corporate sector the way it should have.
A senior member of FIFA Normalization Committee of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), Shahid Niaz Khokhar, believes that a healthy fanbase and major wins have attracted the corporate sector towards cricket rather than football.
Khokhar has also served as ‘Head League Development and Media’ during the era of former PFF chief Faisal Saleh Hayat and knows the real magic of football in Pakistan.
“In terms of fanbase, cricket leads the sports disciplines played in the country. As a matter of fact, the number of cricket-playing nations is limited which has helped and enabled Pakistan to get some famous wins at international stage. These achievements helped in building a strong fan-base. That healthy fanbase got the attention of the corporate sponsors to descend upon cricket. The corporate interest compelled the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to come up with a reasonable marketing structure and financial management,” Shahid told Nukta in an interview.
Growing fanbase
“World’s top sport, football, is being played massively in different regions since Pakistan’s independence in 1947. Why it could never grab the investors’ interest? The answer is why should someone invest in such a low international ranking team having a low fanbase? The major failure causes were the poor governance and unprofessional approach of Pakistan Football Federation,” Shahid said.
Khokhar also said that televising international football matches in Pakistan has also increased interest in the sport in Pakistan in the past few years.
“The last two decades have witnessed a phenomenal growth in the visibility of football in Pakistan on television. Although these were international competitions like English Premier League and UEFA Champions League but it generated an immense interest in the Pakistani youth in football as a game. This interest has created an urge among our youth to see their national teams performing better internationally. Moreover, it has also provided a following to the local clubs. And as the international football is followed by elite, the trend setting class, a wide circle of local football fans has emerged and organized itself,” he said.
He also urged the corporate sector to invest in football bearing in mind the success of 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Pakistan recently.
“2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers held a few months ago in Islamabad have been a subtle proof of football being a potential candidate for corporate investments. Against Cambodia, first ever win of Pakistan in any FIFA Qualifier match took the country to move to the second round where it played with giants like Saudi Arabia and Jordan,” he said.
Shahid revealed that the revenue generated in these matches through broadcasting, gate money, sponsorships and merchandising was unprecedented in Pakistan’s football history.
“The real success of these FIFA Qualifiers 2026 should not be measured in monetary terms but through its outcome which has identified football in Pakistan being a potential market to be invested in. The attendance of thousands of Pakistani fans in the stadium has exposed football as a new emerging market for the broadcasters, corporate sponsors, partners and investors,” Shahid said.
He also said that local football in Pakistan has huge following in majority of the regions of the country, where enthusiastic large crowds are often witnessed to watch and applaud their favorite local clubs.
A jam-packed crowd during a match at the Ayub Stadium in Quetta.Directorate General of Sports Balochistan
“Whether it is mountainous region of Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the craze for football has been huge,” Shahid said.
“In fact, Pakistan is an untapped gold mine of football. Not only the international matches of its national teams but the local football offers a vast market for the investors across the country. Although it is a potential market but yet football needs a corporate friendly and professional environment which fulfills the requirements of the investors,” Shahid signed off.
Popular
Spotlight
More from Sports
Broadcaster faces financial strain from ICC media deal amid Champions Trophy stalemate
Star India’s ambitious ICC media rights deal, initially viewed as a strategic move to capture India’s cricket market, has turned into a potential liability.
Comments
See what people are discussing