KARACHI: Pakistan and Argentina have held initial talks on the possibility of an international friendly between their football teams as part of wider talks on development cooperation in football, sources aware of the matter said.
According to sources, officials from the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) held early discussions during an online exchange, where they discussed multiple areas of cooperation, including coaching development, technical training programs and a possible friendly match.
Both sides also discussed the possibility of Argentinian coaches visiting Pakistan under a structured development initiative and explored a broader technical cooperation framework aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s football structure.
An official statement shared by the Pakistani Mission in Argentina said that a “productive and forward-looking meeting” was organized and coordinated by the Mission, bringing together the PFF and the AFA following AFA’s launch of the “AFA Pakistan” brand and its expressed interest in building “meaningful engagement with the Pakistani football ecosystem.”
The meeting, chaired by Ambassador Hassan Afzal Khan, was attended by PFF President Syed Mohsin Gilani and his team, along with AFA Marketing Director Francisco Lemmi, the statement said.
According to the statement, Ambassador Hassan said the development “provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen cooperation and contribute to the growth of football in Pakistan.”
It added that Gilani welcomed AFA’s outreach and stressed the importance of developing the partnership in a “structured and sustainable manner”, aimed at long-term cooperation and mutual benefit.
If the proposed friendly is finalized, it will take place after the FIFA World Cup, with both federations agreeing to continue working on various logistical and technical aspects before any confirmation is made.
The statement described the involvement as a “promising step towards international cooperation in sports development” that opens new avenues for the advancement of football in Pakistan.
Sources stressed that talks are still at an early stage and further coordination is needed before agreeing on a friendly match or a formal development program.
