Abdullah Iqbal watches the FIFA World Cup from Sweden with a sense of both hope and realism. He sees Iraq and Jordan competing on the biggest stage. He wants what they have. He wants it for Pakistan.But he is also honest about the distance still to travel.“The gap is still huge,” the national football team captain says.
![‘The gap is still huge’: Abdullah on Pakistan’s World Cup dream [Dawn] ‘The gap is still huge’: Abdullah on Pakistan’s World Cup dream [Dawn]](https://footballpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pakistan-celebrate-Diamond-Jubilee-International-Tournament-win-1160x535.jpg)
![Pakistan captain Abdullah Iqbal at the heart of Swedish club Mjällby’s fairytale rise [The National] Pakistan captain Abdullah Iqbal at the heart of Swedish club Mjällby’s fairytale rise [The National]](https://footballpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Abdullah-Iqbal-at-Mjallby-1160x535.jpeg)