Pakistan football gets major boost as Saudi firm joins Lahore Qalandars, HRL Group
Pakistan football gets major boost as Saudi firm joins Lahore Qalandars, HRL Group
LAHORE : Pakistan football has received a major international boost as three-time Pakistan Super League champions Lahore Qalandars and HRL Group have entered into a landmark partnership with Saudi investment company The Real Advice (TRA) to help establish and develop professional football in the country.
The agreement aims to bring Saudi investment, expertise and international football connections to Pakistan while keeping ownership and control of football-related programmes firmly in Pakistani hands. The partnership will support the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) in rebuilding the sport from grassroots level to a professional structure and, if desired by the federation, assist in the development of the proposed professional National League.
Under the agreement, open trials will be conducted across Pakistan to identify talented players, while coaches will receive specialised training. The partners will also establish a dedicated football training centre and invest in women’s football, youth development and community programmes.
A major feature of the partnership will be creating pathways for Pakistani players and coaches to Saudi Arabia through training camps, academy exchanges, club partnerships and friendly matches. Pakistani football will also be connected with opportunities surrounding the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and FIFA World Cup 2034, both scheduled to be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
The partnership will further seek to connect Pakistani football with Saudi and Gulf-based sponsors and television networks, potentially bringing greater investment and exposure to the sport and reaching millions of Pakistanis living in the Gulf.
The agreement builds on a February 2026 understanding between the PFF and Lahore Qalandars, under which the Qalandars committed to introducing their successful Player Development Programme to football. The programme has previously used open trials to identify cricketing talent from towns and communities across Pakistan.
The partners stressed that the PFF will retain sole authority over football in Pakistan. All programmes will operate with the federation’s approval and in accordance with FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regulations. The PFF alone will decide which clubs participate in any National League.
Lahore Qalandars owner and CEO Atif Naeem Rana said the organisation would use the same open-trial model in football that had helped discover leading cricketers. He expressed the hope that youngsters from every part of Pakistan would eventually have a pathway from local trials to the professional National League and international football.
HRL Group Vice Chairman Jehanzaib Zahid said Pakistan had a huge population, widespread passion for football and abundant talent, but lacked investment and an organised system. He said the partnership would bring one of the world’s strongest football networks to Pakistan while ensuring that ownership and control remained in the country.
TRA Chairman Muhammad Amir Khan said Saudi Arabia had demonstrated what vision and investment could achieve in football in a short period. He described Pakistan as a brotherly country with a strong football following and highlighted the large Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia.
The partnership’s first initiative, open trials in collaboration with the PFF, is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Further announcements regarding club partnerships, training camps and international matches will follow.
HRL Group, also known as Habib Rafiq Engineering (Private) Limited, is a major Pakistani company involved in engineering, infrastructure and real estate.
Lahore Qalandars are three-time PSL champions and have developed a player-development model that has expanded internationally, including programmes and initiatives in Australia, England, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Guyana.
