Talented Pakistani midfielder Harun Hamid has been honest ahead of his team’s match against Saudi Arabia on Thursday in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers at Al-Ahsa.
Last month, Hamid gave Pakistan’s team a victory over Cambodia in Islamabad, enabling the Shaheens to win their first-ever World Cup qualifier match.
The midfielder Hamid, who was born in London, told BBC Asian Network, “I was just full of adrenaline and had to hit the knee slide in front of the fans.”
Saudi Arabia scored 57, presents an enormous task to Pakistan, ranked 193 in the world, as they are the only side that beat World Cup winners Argentina in last winter’s tournament.
“We’re playing against a team that beat Messi’s Argentina and we don’t even have a pro league,” Hamid stated.
Hamid added that playing for the Pakistan national football team was a dream come true for him.
“Growing up I didn’t even know Pakistan had a team if I’m honest, so I never thought I’d be playing for them one day,” he stated.
But the chance arose, and it is truly a dream come true to act in front of huge crowds on an international stage.
“Hopefully after the win, more young boys like me will consider playing for Pakistan.”
The other teams in Pakistan’s group are Tajikistan and Jordan. The top two countries will advance to the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, while the bottom two teams will play each other in the round.
These four teams will play each other both at home and away. Saudi Arabia has already qualified for the primary event on the continent, being selected as the host country for the 2027 Asian Cup.
