2026 SAFF Championship
Fifteenth edition of the SAFF Championship
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The 2026 SAFF Championship (also known as the Tecno SAFF Championship 2026 for sponsorship reasons)[1] 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).[2]
| |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Bangladesh |
| Dates | 4 November – 17 November |
| Teams | 6 (from SAFF confederations) (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] SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel has said that VAR technology may be included in this 2026 Edition.
Host selection
This edition was originally expected to be held in a home-and-away format before organizers opted for a centralized tournament in Sri Lanka.[4] In April 2025, the competition was postponed to 2026 due to venue-related logistical issues, the need for adequate preparation periods for the competing nations, and a desire to align the tournament with the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[5]
However, Sri Lanka subsequently withdrew as host due to logistical limitations. During the SAFF Executive Committee meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand on 26 January 2026, it was decided that the 2026 SAFF Championship would be hosted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with an initial schedule set from 21 September to 6 October 2026.[6]
The tournament was later postponed after India accepted an invitation to compete in the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, which overlapped with the original dates. SAFF President Kazi Salahuddin subsequently confirmed that the competition was rescheduled. While Bangladesh had been chosen as the host nation, SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel stated that the official announcement was deferred pending corporate sponsorships. On 21 July 2026, Bangladesh was officially confirmed as the host country, with the tournament scheduled to take place in Dhaka from 4 to 17 November 2026.[2][7][8]
Participating nations
All seven SAFF members are expected to compete, though according to the decision of the SAFF, Nepal will not be able to participate in this tournament if the suspension imposed by FIFA is not lifted by September 30, 2026.[9]
| Country | Appearance | Previous best performance | FIFA ranking (July 2026)[10] |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bangladesh (H) |
14th | Champions (2003) | 181 |
 Bhutan |
10th | Semi-finals (2008) | 192 |
 India |
15th | Champions (Nine times)[note 1] | 138 |
 Maldives |
13th | Champions (2008, 2018) | 173 |
 Nepal |
|||
 Pakistan |
13th | Third-place (1997) | 198 |
 Sri Lanka |
15th | Champions (1995) | 187 |
Squads
Venues
The National Stadium in Dhaka will host all the matches of this edition.[11][12]
| Dhaka |
Location of venue in Bangladesh |
|---|---|
| National Stadium | |
| 23°44′7.8″N 90°24′40.7″E | |
| Capacity: 22,400 | |
 |
Draw
The official logo unveiling ceremony took place in Dhaka on July 25, 2026,[1][13] while the official draw ceremony concluded in Thimphu, Bhutan, on August 1, 2026.[14][15]
Draw Pot
This draw has been conducted based on the latest FIFA Men's World Ranking published on 20 July 2026.[10]
Note: The Nepal team has been suspended by FIFA with immediate effect.
Draw Result
Match officials
- Referees
TBD
- Assistant referees
TBD
Group stage
- All matches will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- All times are listed in Bangladesh Standard Time (UTC+06:00).
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangladesh (H) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to the Knockout stage |
| 2 | Bhutan |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Sri Lanka |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(H) Hosts
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to the Knockout stage |
| 2 | Maldives |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Pakistan |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Knockout stage
- All matches were held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- All times are listed in Bangladesh Standard Time (UTC+06:00).
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| November – Dhaka | ||||||
 To Be Determined | ||||||
| 17 November – Dhaka | ||||||
| To Be Determined | ||||||
| To Be Determined | ||||||
| November – Dhaka | ||||||
| To Be Determined | ||||||
| To Be Determined | ||||||
| To Be Determined | ||||||
Semi-finals
| To Be Determined | v | To Be Determined |
|---|---|---|
| To Be Determined | v | To Be Determined |
|---|---|---|
Final
| To Be Determined | v | To Be Determined |
|---|---|---|
Champion
| SAFF Championship 2026 |
|---|
 To Be Determined th title |
Prize money
Prize money amounts will be announced in 2026.
| Position | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Champions | TBD |
| Runner-up | TBD |
| Total | TBD |
Statistics
Goalscorers
TBD
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Top Scorer | Goalkeeper | Fair Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
