Constantine the Great leads Pakistan to their first-ever World Cup Qualifiers victory

It took them five long years and as many as 13 games, but they've finally made it!

Pakistan's men's football team have made history by advancing to the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after beating Cambodia 1-0 in Islamabad.

It was the first time ever the national team won a qualifying game, setting off wild celebrations on the pitch and in the stands at Jinnah Sports Stadium in the Pakistani capital on Tuesday.

A 67th-minute half-volley from Harun Hamid was enough to secure victory in the first home game for Pakistan since 2015.

They face Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Jordan in the second round, which begins in November.

The South Asian nation, ranked 197th in the world, had not won an international match since 2018 and were banned by FIFA in April 2021 for 15 months because of "undue third-party interference" - their second ban in four years.

Englishman Stephen Constantine was named the new coach of the team last week, appointed by the FIFA-led Normalisation Committee (NC) currently running the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).