Karachi, May 25,2026: The Pakistan men’s football team has been confirmed as one of the participating sides in an upcoming four-nation tournament scheduled to be held in the Maldives from June 1 to 10.
The event, titled the “Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament,” is part of the Maldives’ Independence Day celebrations and will feature four teams: Pakistan national football team, Afghanistan national football team, Bangladesh national football team, and the host nation Maldives national football team.
According to the schedule, the tournament will kick off on June 1 with Pakistan facing Bangladesh at the National Football Stadium in Malé, while Afghanistan will meet the Maldives in the second fixture of the day.
On June 4, Pakistan will take on the host nation in an evening match, while Bangladesh and Afghanistan will face each other under lights.
Pakistan will conclude their league-stage matches against Afghanistan on June 7. Following the group stage, the top two teams will qualify for the final, scheduled for June 10 at the same venue.
The tournament is expected to provide valuable international exposure for Pakistan, allowing the team to test its squad depth and strategies against regional South Asian opponents ahead of future competitions.
The invitation comes shortly after Pakistan wrapped up their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign with a 1-2 victory over Myanmar in a closed-door match at the Jinnah Sports Stadium in Islamabad.
Pakistan had earlier been eliminated from qualification contention, finishing at the bottom of Group E with two points from five matches. The team recorded defeats against Saudi Arabia and Syria, while drawing both matches against Afghanistan before their final win over Myanmar.
