By Asghar Ali Mubarak
Pakistan football team has officially won the title by defeating Afghanistan in the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Tournament played in Maldives. The Green Shirts have created new history by winning the first regular international football tournament in the country’s history by performing brilliantly. In this historic final match, Pakistan defeated arch-rival Afghanistan 0-2 to win the championship trophy. The Pakistani team was undefeated throughout the tournament.
The Green Shirts drew with Bangladesh in the group stage, defeated the host Maldives 0-3 and defeated Afghanistan 0-2 in both the group match and the final. This is the first regular international tournament title in Pakistan’s football history. Earlier, Pakistan was joint winner with India in 1952, while the team was runners-up in the 1962 Merdeka Cup (Malaysia). Under the supervision of head coach Nolberto Solano, the team played an aggressive game throughout the tournament.
Umar Nawaz and Haroon Hameed’s brilliant scoring in the final and group matches and Shaiq Dost’s excellent passes played a key role in Pakistan’s victory. The Pakistani goalkeeper and defensive line did not give the Afghan forwards any chance to score in the final match and lifted the trophy with a clean sheet. Chairman of the Normalization Committee of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), Mohsin Gilani, has congratulated the entire team, coaching staff and the nation on this historic title victory. Chairman Mohsin Gilani announced a special cash reward to boost the team’s morale before the final, which is expected to increase further after winning the trophy. The Pakistan football squad will leave for Pakistan from Maldives tomorrow (June 11, 2026) after playing the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Tournament. The national team will fly to Pakistan from Malé Airport on June 11, 2026.
The team will reach Pakistan on the night of June 11 and 12 or by Friday morning via connecting flights. Most of the local players in the squad will arrive in Islamabad (airport) and Lahore, where the winning team will be given a grand welcome by the Football Federation and fans. Schedule of foreign players Overseas players representing foreign clubs in the squad such as Isa Suleman, Yousuf Butt and Adil Nabi will leave Maldives directly for their respective countries in the UK and Europe.
