In a significant development for Pakistan’s footballing future, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has finally discussed the footballing culture with a representative from the country named Mohsin, the only problem is, it’s the wrong Mohsin.
Mohsen Gilani, the newly minted head of the Pakistan Football Federation, is yet to meet the FIFA head honcho, but Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, has. Now, if you’re wondering what the head of Pakistan cricket is doing talking to the head of world football, you’re not alone.
We all know about his penchant for wearing multiple hats, PCB chairman, ACC President, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, there may be some other clandestine titles that we are yet unaware of. Naqvi, who seems to be collecting these portfolios like Panini stickers, may be seeing himself as the country’s representative regarding every sports administration.
People might not have known anything about their meeting in Washington D.C., only for Mohsin Naqvi himself to brag about it on social media. “We discussed the immense potential of sports in Pakistan—especially the growing popularity of football following cricket,” Naqvi wrote on X following the meeting.
But here’s the kicker (pun fully intended): Naqvi invited Infantino to visit Pakistan, and the FIFA president didn’t just nod politely. He graciously accepted (no VAR required) and promised to show up “very soon.” That’s right, Gianni might be heading to Islamabad before PFF’s next delayed domestic league news.
All jokes aside, Pakistan may have to resort to upgrading Gaddafi Stadium once more into a footballing venue just to prove we have infrastructure left to keep football alive in the country.
In a cricket-obsessed country, football has often been the kid picked last. But with PFF finally electing a democratic body, the stars might finally be aligning for Mohsin Naqvi to lead Pakistan football’s revival.
A visit from Infantino would be more than a symbolic picture-clicking opportunity. It could open doors for FIFA-backed development projects, better infrastructure, and maybe even an actual plan to keep the Pakistan football calendar running for longer than a Netflix mini-series.
For now, the PCB chairman has done what many in Pakistani football administration dream of: made football feel important—even if it took a cricket guy to do it.
So if you see a tall, bald man in a suit wandering around Lahore, Islamabad, or Karachi sometime soon, no need to panic. It’s just Infantino, finally cashing in on that invitation, and maybe, just maybe, helping give Pakistan football the kick it’s been waiting for.
Why is fifa meeting the cricket head for football issues ?
What a joke of a nation