Essa Khan, who played 36 times for Pakistan and scored 11 goals, told Geo News that Pakistan “is capable to qualify for the major tournament” if the standards of merit are respected in the selection procedure.
“The World Cup will have 48 teams starting in 2026, giving Pakistan a good chance to qualify for the competition. If merit is emphasised and all the stakeholders are on the same page, I’m optimistic that Pakistan would qualify for the 2030 World Cup even if they were unable to do so for the 2026 tournament, the 38-year-old stated.
Essa Khan, a former captain of the Pakistani national football team, asserted that if the team is chosen based on merit, Pakistan may make the FIFA World Cup.
Essa Khan, who played 36 times for Pakistan and scored 11 goals, told Geo News that Pakistan “is capable to qualify for the major tournament” if the standards of merit are respected in the selection procedure.
“The World Cup will have 48 teams starting in 2026, giving Pakistan a good chance to qualify for the competition. If merit is emphasised and all the stakeholders are on the same page, I’m optimistic that Pakistan would qualify for the 2030 World Cup even if they were unable to do so for the 2026 tournament, the 38-year-old stated.
As a result of FIFA’s decision to withdraw the ban on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), which had been imposed in April 2021 as a result of excessive third-party meddling, in June of this year, Pakistan’s return to the international stage was made feasible.
FIFA also gave the Normalization Committee (NC) an additional 12 months to complete its work.
FIFA states that the normalisation committee’s duties include overseeing the PFF’s daily operations, making sure Pakistani clubs are properly registered and inspected, drafting and approving an electoral code for the PFF with the help of FIFA and the AFC, organising district and provincial elections, and holding elections for a new PFF executive committee.
