Pakistan has reached a significant milestone in football development with Portuguese club FC Porto entering into a partnership with the Sialkot Football Academy to establish a new international Dragon Force academy in Pakistan.
The academy, named Dragon Force by FC Porto, will be established in Sialkot and will bring FC Porto’s youth football training methods and experience to young Pakistani players. The partnership is part of the Portuguese club’s international expansion programme.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the Sialkot Football Academy is a flagship project of Forward Sports, a Sialkot-based company known for manufacturing official FIFA World Cup match balls and balls for other major international football competitions.
Under the partnership, FC Porto will provide its football development methods, knowledge and experience to young players in Pakistan. The programme will also focus on developing local coaches and managers, providing a structured pathway for young footballers.
The addition of the Sialkot academy will take the number of young players involved in FC Porto’s international academy network to more than 11,000. The club says its wider international development programme aims to reach 40,000 young athletes by 2030.
The project has also received support from the Embassy of Pakistan in Portugal. Ambassador Aisha Farooqui said the initiative could bring Pakistan and Portugal closer through sport and create opportunities for young Pakistani players seeking international football experience.
Hassan Masood Khawaja, President of the Sialkot Football Academy and General Manager of Forward Sports, said the partnership would open a new chapter for young football talent in Pakistan.
The agreement marks FC Porto’s further expansion in Asia and creates a new sporting link between Pakistan and Portugal through youth football development.