Portuguese football giant FC Porto has signed a partnership agreement with Sialkot Football Academy to establish Pakistan’s first Dragon Force Academy, bringing the club’s internationally recognised youth development methodology to one of Asia’s largest markets.
The Sialkot Football Academy is a flagship project of Forward Sports, the Sialkot-based manufacturer of official Fifa World Cup match balls.
Through the partnership, a statement issued by Pakistan’s embassy in Portugal said FC Porto will conduct a comprehensive and intensive training program for young Pakistani athletes as well as develop coaches and managers.
“This collaboration will offer talented young Pakistanis a unique opportunity for growth, both on and off the pitch, through an internationally recognised methodology, so that our youth can be not merely spectators but players in global sporting events in the years ahead,” it added.
FC Porto Director of Dragon Force Academies Ricardo Frey-Ramos said the partnership represented “an important step in our international growth strategy” and an opportunity to share the club’s methodology, values and experience in youth football development with young players in Pakistan.
Hassan Masood Khawaja, President of Sialkot Football Academy and General Manager of Forward Sports, said the collaboration opened a new chapter for young talent in Pakistan. “Together with FC Porto, we want to transform the football talent of young Pakistanis into the champions of tomorrow,” he said.
The Dragon Force Academy in Sialkot is FC Porto’s 11th international academy, with others already established in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Turkey, Mozambique, India, Cape Verde and Cyprus. The club aims to reach 40,000 young athletes globally by 2030.
The Pakistan Embassy in Portugal facilitated the partnership, with Ambassador Aisha Farooqui describing it as “a true turning point for football lovers in Pakistan.” Haroon Sharif, President of the Pakistan Regional Economic Forum and former Minister for Investment, played an instrumental role in bringing the two organisations together.
