Pakistan soccer league wins reboot from Premier League duo

Retired Liverpool strikers Owen and Heskey face pushback from domestic federation

Pakistan's national soccer squad goes up against Jordan at Jinnah Sports Stadium in Islamabad on March 21. The country has been without a domestic pro league for five years. © Getty Images

JOHN DUERDEN, Contributing writer

June 29, 2024 14:02 JST

LONDON -- Pakistan and India's campaign to qualify for the 2026 World Cup ended in disappointment this month. But while India's domestic league is set to start again in September, soccer fans in neighboring Pakistan will have to wait a bit longer.

With no regular league action in the country since 2019, fans are desperate to see some soccer. Now, retired Liverpool, Real Madrid and England striker Michael Owen and former teammate Emile Heskey are hoping their star power will be the ticket to rebooting Pakistan's dormant football scene.