ISLAMABAD, May 24, 2026: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) announced the launch of its Football For Schools programme — a nationwide initiative that will see more than 150,000 footballs distributed to schools across Pakistan — at an AFC Grassroots Day celebration held on Saturday at Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad.
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The announcement was made by PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani at an event that brought together 56 young players — eight teams of seven, split equally between boys and girls — for a day of grassroots football celebrating the sport’s role in communities across the country.
Pakistan’s celebration was part of the 13th AFC Grassroots Football Day, in which a record 45 Member Associations joined the Asian Football Confederation in marking the annual event — held on May 23 in alignment with FIFA’s World Football Week, enabling the AFC to further contribute to the United Nations’ Football for the Goals initiative.
“Grassroots is a football factory from where the final product is nurtured and developed,” said President Gilani. “The journey for kids starts at the grassroots before they can eventually play at a national level. This AFC Grassroots Day was organized by the Pakistan Football Federation to reinforce the idea that grassroots football is a key priority for the PFF.”
The Football For Schools programme will be formally launched in the near future, with the mass distribution of footballs designed to expand access to the sport in school environments across the country. President Gilani described it as part of a broader suite of youth programmes the federation intends to implement.
Saturday’s event also featured a dedicated safeguarding awareness session for parents, where an animated video was screened to educate families on child protection principles — reflecting the PFF’s commitment to ensuring football environments are safe for all participants.
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A highlight of the day was the participation of girls’ and boys’ teams competing side by side. “The great thing is that girls and boys will participate together in our Grassroots Day celebrations,” President Gilani noted, pointing to the federation’s long-term development agenda as a driving force behind the day’s programming.