- Pakistan manufactured the official Adidas “Trionda” match ball for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Sialkot producing an estimated 70% of the world’s footballs.
- Beyond footballs, Sialkot is a world-renowned manufacturing hub for surgical tools and exports.
SIALKOT, Pakistan — The official match ball for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Adidas “Trionda,” was manufactured in Sialkot, Pakistan, at the Forward Sports Limited factory. The ball continues a remarkable tradition, becoming the latest FIFA World Cup match ball produced by Pakistanis.
The History
The industry’s roots are traced to the late 19th century, during British colonial rule in India. Around 1889, a British soldier stationed in Sialkot (modern day Pakistan) reportedly brought a leather football to a local saddle maker after it became damaged. The craftsman successfully repaired the ball, and his workmanship impressed the soldier.
Recognising the quality of the repair, the soldier asked whether the craftsman could produce an entirely new football instead of simply fixing one. He accepted the challenge and replicated the ball using locally available leather and traditional hand-stitching techniques.
During the 1950s and 1960s, football manufacturing evolved from a cottage industry into organised factories producing for export. Pakistani manufacturers gradually established relationships with international sporting goods brands in Europe and elsewhere.
By the 1970s and 1980s, Sialkot had emerged as one of the world’s largest football manufacturing centres.
Today, Sialkot produces 70% of the world’s footballs, securing manufacturing partnerships with leading brands such as Adidas, Nike, Puma and Decathlon.
FIFA World Cup milestone
At the centre of this achievement is Forward Sports Private Limited, now regarded as one of the world’s foremost football manufacturers. What began as a small family-run business has grown into a globally respected supplier, producing around 20.5 million footballs annually, roughly 1.5 million every month, for some of the biggest brands in sport.
The company’s story dates back to 1991, when civil engineer Khawaja Masood Akhtar established Forward Sports with only 50 employees. At the time, entering the football manufacturing business was an unconventional decision.
Following his engineering studies, Akhtar joined Pakistan Railways. Meanwhile, his uncle owned a sports goods business in Sialkot and persuaded him to become involved in the industry.
“I never imagined I would end up manufacturing footballs,” Akhtar recalled. “I had no experience in the industry, but I had a technical mindset and a close relationship with my uncle, so I accepted the challenge.”
Operating from a single room with modest resources and a small team, the company initially manufactured footballs mainly for customers in the United States. Progress was slow in the beginning. Monthly production hovered around 1,000 balls, and earning recognition in an industry dominated by established competitors proved difficult.
The turning point came in 1994, when Adidas became one of the company’s clients.
“A major breakthrough came when Adidas partnered with us,” Akhtar said. “From that point onward, I never looked back. There were setbacks, failures and difficult periods, but with hard work and perseverance we continued moving forward.”
“What began as a modest operation has become a source of pride not only for us but for Pakistan as a whole,” Akhtar said.
Four World Cups in a row
Forward Sports entered FIFA’s global spotlight in 2014 after being selected to manufacture the official match ball for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. It marked the first occasion the company had been trusted with producing football’s most prestigious piece of equipment.
The collaboration continued through the 2018 and 2022 tournaments and now extends to 2026, making Forward Sports the producer of the official FIFA World Cup match ball for four consecutive editions.
Innovation driving growth
Akhtar says innovation has been central to the company’s survival and success from the very beginning.
Forward Sports originally specialised in traditional hand-stitched footballs before adopting thermo-bonded technology in 2007. It later broadened its manufacturing capabilities to include machine-stitched footballs, laminated football technology and airless mini-balls.
“Technology changes everything,” Akhtar said. “Football manufacturing was changing too. If we had not adapted, we would have been left behind.”
Dedicated research and development teams focus on new product development, manufacturing improvements and emerging technologies.
“One of the biggest reasons we reached this level is our investment in R&D,” Akhtar said. “Every day when I go to the factory, the first place I visit is our research and development department.”
Forward Sports has invested extensively in automation, laser-cutting equipment and advanced German machinery to improve productivity while shortening production cycles.
“In the early years, our delivery time was around 90 days,” Akhtar said. “We gradually reduced our lead times to 60 days, then 45 days, then 30 days and eventually as low as 15 days.”
The shift toward automation has strengthened both efficiency and consistency.
“We changed our entire production system,” he said. “Automation increased our speed, improved quality and reduced costs.”
“Women have played a major role in our success. When given opportunities and respect, they deliver outstanding results.” Akhtar said.
Although technological advancement has fuelled the company’s expansion, Akhtar believes its workforce remains its greatest strength. There are 6,000 female employees and hand stitchers at Forward Sports Limited; many come from empoversihed backgrounds.
Women have contributed substantially to the company’s growth.
“One of the most important reasons behind our growth has been our focus on empowering women,” Akhtar said. “Some of the finest football stitching and manufacturing work has been carried out by women workers.”
To support female employees, Forward Sports introduced transportation services, upgraded workplace facilities, expanded healthcare assistance and established complaint-resolution mechanisms designed to provide a safe and respectful working environment.
“Our human resources policy is based on dignity and respect,” Akhtar said.
The Personal Values and Faith of Forward Sports
“There is no secret formula behind success,” Akhtar said. “Like any export-oriented business, we face numerous challenges. To compete internationally, companies must meet strict standards of quality, consistency and timely delivery.”
He attributes much of his success to the support of his family, personal discipline and faith.
When asked how he describes himself, his response was straightforward.
“First, I am a human, then a Muslim and Pakistani. After that, I am a businessman.”
Looking ahead, he believes Pakistan’s economic future depends on greater investment in research, innovation, skilled workers and a business climate with less bureaucratic interference.
“Countries that invest in technology, research and efficient systems will continue to move ahead,” he said. “Pakistan has the talent and potential to do the same if we are willing to adapt and modernise.
Sialkot Supplies 90% of the World’s Surgical Hand Tools
In addition to being pioneers in manufacturing footballs, 90% of the world’s surgical hand tools (such as surgical scissors, forceps, clamps, dental instruments, orthopaedic tools, hollowware sterilisation tools) are all hand crafted in Sialkot and distributed from there There are over 2,500 surgical instrument manufactures operating in the area, with internationally recognised names such as Surgicon and GERATI Healthcare.
Furthermore, factories within Sailkot supply leather products, gloves, textiles and various sports equipment globally.
The Airport
As international demand for Sialkot’s exports continued to rise, the need for faster and more efficient logistics led to the development of an airport within the city. The initiative was led by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry, driven by 300 local exporters who grew frustrated with the time delays and high costs of transporting goods to airports in Lahore and Islamabad.
Sialkot International Airport officially began operations in 2007 and is widely noted as being developed without any financial support from the government, relying instead on private-sector investment. Forward Sports was among the key investors in the project, alongside the aforementioned traders from the area.
Sialkot: Industry, Craft, and the ‘Poet of the East’
Sialkot is internationally recognised for its industrial strength, its workshops, factories and export networks but its legacy is not confined to manufacturing alone. The city also holds a place of quiet reverence in the literary and intellectual history of South Asia as the birthplace of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, one of the region’s most influential poets and philosophers. Through his poetry, Iqbal helped shape ideas of identity, self-realisation, faith, and cultural awakening that resonated far beyond his time and geography. In this sense, Sialkot stands as a rare kind of city: one that has contributed not only to the material fabric of the global economy, but also to the emotional and intellectual progression of the world through verse, thought, and imagination.
