2026 SAFF Championship
Fifteenth edition of the SAFF Championship
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The 2026 SAFF Championship will be the 15th edition of the SAFF Championship, the biennial international men's football championship of South Asia organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).[1][2]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Bangladesh |
| Dates | 21 September – 6 October |
| Teams | 7 (from 1 sub-confederation) |
| Venue | 1 (in 1 host city) |
← 2023 2028 → | |
India, the defending champions, won their record-extending ninth championship by defeating Kuwait in the final in the previous edition.[3]
Host selection
This edition was expected to be held in a home-and-away format, before opting for the centralized one in Sri Lanka.[4][5] In April 2025, the competition was postponed to 2026.[6] The postponement was due to logistical issues with the venues, preparation periods for the competing nations, and the desire to coincide the tournament with the excitement from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[7] However, Sri Lanka withdrew as hosts due to logistics and various limitations. Subsequently, during the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Executive Committee meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand on January 26, it was decided that 2026 SAFF Championship football tournament will be hosted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 21 September to 6 October, 2026.[8]
Participating nations
All the seven SAFF members will compete.
| Country | Appearance | Previous best performance | FIFA ranking (22 December 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bangladesh |
13th | Champions (2003) | 180  (19 January 2026)[9] |
 Bhutan |
9th | Semi-finals (2008) | 192 (19 January 2026)[9] |
 India |
14th | Champions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023) | 141  1 (19 January 2026)[9] |
 Maldives |
12th | Champions (2008, 2018) | 173 (19 January 2026)[9] |
 Nepal |
14th | Runners-up (2021) | 182 (19 January 2026)[9] |
 Pakistan |
12th | Third-place (1997) | 199 (19 January 2026)[9] |
 Sri Lanka |
14th | Champions (1995) | 194 (19 January 2026)[9] |
Squads
Each team had to register a squad with a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 23 players, at least three of whom must be goalkeepers.
Group stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A1 (H) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | A2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | A3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | A4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | B2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | B3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | B4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Marketing
Broadcasting
See also
- 2026 SAFF Championship
- 2026 SAFF Women's Championship
- 2026 SAFF U-23 Championship
- 2026 SAFF U-20 Championship
- 2026 SAFF U-19 Women's Championship
- 2026 SAFF U-17 Championship
- 2026 SAFF U-17 Women's Championship
- 2026 SAFF Club Championship
- 2026 SAFF Futsal Championship
- 2026 SAFF Women's Futsal Championship
