Lyari celebrates World Cup without Pakistan
Key Takeaways
- Lyari residents decorated streets with World Cup flags, murals and images of football stars.
- Locals expressed pride in the area's football culture but disappointment that Pakistan is not competing.
- The neighbourhood, known as "Mini Brazil," has celebrated every World Cup through community-led street art and football events.
Football-loving Karachi neighbourhood embraces tournament spirit while dreaming of national qualification
Pakistan may not be heading to the 2026 World Cup, but that has not stopped residents of Karachi's Lyari neighbourhood from celebrating the tournament.
Ahead of next week's competition, locals transformed streets into a colourful display of football pride, painting the flags of participating nations and images of international stars across walls and public spaces.
Footage showed children playing football among the murals as residents prepared for the tournament atmosphere.
For many, the celebrations are also a reminder of Pakistan's continued absence from football's biggest stage.
"We wished that Pakistan had been part of the World Cup, and as Pakistanis, we would have loved to see our flag among the teams competing on the world stage," said football fan Qadir Baloch.
Despite that disappointment, residents said their passion for the sport remains strong.
"Lyari is widely known as 'Mini Brazil' because of its deep passion for football and the immense talent that has emerged from the area over the years," said Noman Baloch.
"As for Pakistan's national football team, we remain hopeful that positive developments will come in the future."
The preparations were led by local artists and volunteers working together to decorate the neighbourhood.
"All the work we have done in the streets is the result of a collective effort. It is because of this teamwork and dedication that our work is receiving recognition," said artist Mohammed Wali.
Pakistan has never qualified for a FIFA World Cup finals tournament, but in Lyari, residents are determined to remain part of the global football celebration as the 2026 competition approaches.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
