PFF Press Release: 28 September 2026
The PFF National U-17 Football Championship 2026 will kick off in Islamabad on 1 October, with 10 provincial and regional teams from across Pakistan set to compete for the title.
The championship was earlier postponed due to the prevailing uncertainty in the twin cities. Following the revised arrangements, the tournament will now take place according to the new schedule, with all participating teams scheduled to report in Islamabad on 29 September.
The 10 participating teams are Punjab Potohar, Punjab Rohtas, Sindh Mehran, Sindh Indus, Balochistan Hingol, Balochistan Bolan, KPK Himalayas, KPK Khyber, Gilgit-Baltistan Karakoram and Islamabad Margalla.
The teams will be divided into three groups, with one group comprising four teams and the other two groups comprising three teams each. The top team from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, along with the best-performing second-placed team across the three groups.
The groups will be drawn after the Managers’ Meeting on 30 September at 4:00 PM at the Meeting Hall, Allama Iqbal Hostel, Jinnah Sports Complex, Islamabad.
The group stage will run from 1 to 6 October, with two matches played each day. 7 October will be a rest day, followed by the semi-finals on 8 October. 9 October will be another rest day, before the championship concludes on 10 October with the third-place play-off and final.
The championship is part of the PFF’s ongoing efforts to revive and strengthen domestic football and provide young players from across Pakistan with more opportunities to compete and develop.
For the players taking part, the championship will provide valuable experience of competing at the national level, while bringing together young footballers from different regions of the country.
With the teams due to arrive from 29 September and the group draw taking place the following day, preparations are now in full swing for the championship to get started on 1 October.