| Organising body | Pakistan Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1948 |
| Folded | 2003 |
| Replaced by | Pakistan Premier League |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | PFF National Challenge Cup |
| International cup(s) | Asian Club Championship |
| Most championships | Pakistan Airlines (9 titles) |
The National Football Championship was the men's highest level football competition from 1948 to 2003. Founded by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) in 1948, it was mainly held on knock-out basis.[1][2] It was eventually replaced by the Pakistan Premier League from the 2004–05 season in order to professionalize the sport in Pakistan. Until 1971, it was run in parallel with the Dhaka League in East Pakistan.[1]
The National Football League era though saw Karachi based Pakistan Airlines with most championships, winning the competition nine times. National Football Championship featured teams representing cities or provinces, including teams from Dacca Division and Chittagong Division from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Dacca Division won two back-to-back leagues, and Chittagong Division won the league only once.[3]
- ^ a b Ahsan, Ali (2010-12-23). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part I". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
History IIwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Pakistan - List of Champions". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-05.