© 2024 The Author(s)Exploiting an evolution scheme for parton distribution functions (DFs) that is all-orders exact, contemporary lattice-QCD (lQCD) results for low-order Mellin moments of the pion valence quark DF are shown to be mutually consistent. The analysis introduces a means by which key odd moments can be obtained from the even moments in circumstances where only the latter are available. Combining these elements, one arrives at parameter-free lQCD-based predictions for the pointwise behaviour of pion valence, glue, and sea DFs, with sound uncertainty estimates. The behaviour of the pion DFs at large light-front momentum fraction, x?0.85, is found to be consistent with QCD expectations and continuum analyses of pion structure functions, i.e., damping like (1?x)?parton, with ?valence?2.4, ?glue?3.6, ?sea?4.6. It may be possible to test these predictions using data from forthcoming experiments.