2026 SAFF Championship
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Bangladesh |
| Dates | 5 – 17 November |
| Teams | 6 (from 1 sub-confederation) |
| Venue | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 6 |
| Goals scored | 18 (3 per match) |
| Attendance | 36,898 (6,150 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Najeeb Ullah Suhail Bhat (3 goals) |
← 2023 2028 →
All statistics correct as of 11 November 2026. | |
The 2026 SAFF Championship (also known as the TECNO SAFF Championship 2026 due to sponsorship reasons with Tecno Mobile)[1] is 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).
India are the defending champions, having defeated guest team Kuwait in the final of previous edition.[2]
Host selection
[edit]This edition was originally expected to be held in a home-and-away format before organizers opted for a centralized tournament in Sri Lanka. 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.[3]
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.[4]
The tournament was later postponed after India accepted an invitation to compete in the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, which overlapped with the original dates. India which was already drawn to be part of Group A withdrew due to commitments to play a friendly match with Brazil at Kolkata,[5][6] and was then replaced by Bangladesh.[7][8][9][10][a]
Participating nations
[edit]Altogether six SAFF members have confirmed their participation. Nepal will not be able to participate in this tournament because the suspension imposed by FIFA had not been lifted by the slated deadline of September 30, 2026.[11]
| Country | Appearance | Previous best performance | FIFA ranking (July 2026)[12] |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bangladesh (H) |
14th | Champions (2003) | 182 |
 Bhutan |
10th | Semi-finals (2008) | 192 |
| India |
15th | Champions (Nine times)[b] | 138 |
 Maldives |
13th | Champions (2008, 2018) | 172 |
| Pakistan |
13th | Third-place (1997) | 198 |
 Sri Lanka |
15th | Champions (1995) | 183 |
Squads
[edit]Each team was required to registered a squad with a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 23 players, at least three of whom had to be goalkeepers. In November 2026, the maximum squad was increased to 28 players.
Venues
[edit]The National Stadium in Dhaka will host all the matches of this edition.[13]
| Dhaka |
|
|---|---|
| National Stadium | |
| 23°44′7.8″N 90°24′40.7″E / 23.735500°N 90.411306°E | |
| Capacity: 22,400 | |
 |
Draw
[edit]The official logo unveiling ceremony took place in Dhaka on July 25, 2026,[1][14] while the official draw ceremony concluded in Thimphu, Bhutan, on August 1, 2026.[15][16]
Draw pot
[edit]This draw was conducted based on the latest FIFA Men's World Ranking published on 20 July 2026.[12]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh (H) (181) India (138) |
Maldives (173) Sri Lanka (187) |
Bhutan (192) Pakistan (198) |
Draw result
[edit]
|
|
Match officials
[edit]- Referees
Ngô Duy Lân- Lê Vũ Linh
Mohammed Khalfan Al Manai
Ahmad A'Qashah
Thoriq Alkatiri
- Assistant referees & Fourth Official
Chotrawee Tongduang- Rachain Srichai
- Nurhadi Sulchan
- Gede Raharja
Kilar Ladsavong- Nguyễn Lâm Minh Đăng
- Referee assessor
- Preecha Kangram
- Match commissioner
Mindu Dorji- Tshewang Tashi
Arunava Bhattacharya
Abdul Basith Bin Shahul Hamid
Group stage
[edit]- All matches are taking place in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- All times are listed in Bangladesh Standard Time (UTC+06:00).
Group A
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangladesh (H) |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 | Advanced to the Knockout stage |
| 2 | Bhutan |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Sri Lanka |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 |
| Bhutan | 0–1 | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| SAFF FIFA |
|
Group B
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | Advanced to the Knockout stage |
| 2 | Pakistan |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Maldives |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
Knockout stage
[edit]| Semi-finals | The Final | |||||
| 14 November – Dhaka | ||||||
| India | ||||||
| 17 November – Dhaka | ||||||
| Bhutan | ||||||
| SF1 winner | ||||||
| 14 November – Dhaka | ||||||
| SF2 winner | ||||||
| Bangladesh | ||||||
| Pakistan | ||||||
Semi-finals
[edit]| Bangladesh | v | Pakistan |
|---|---|---|
| SAFF FIFA |
Final
[edit]| SF1 winner | v | SF2 winner |
|---|---|---|
| SAFF FIFA |
Statistics
[edit]Goalscorers
[edit]There were 18 goals scored in 6 matches, for an average of 3 goals per match.
3 goals
1 goal
Broadcasting
[edit]| Country | Broadcaster | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh |
T Sports, Bongo BD, Toffee |
[17][18] |
| India |
Veto India | [19] |
| Pakistan |
Myco, Tamasha |
[20][17] |
| Sri Lanka |
Bongo BD | [17] |
| Bhutan | ||
| Maldives |
Medianet | [21] |
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ 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.
- ↑ India won in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023.
References
[edit]- 1 2 "TECNO & SAFF Officially Launch the TECNO SAFF Championship Bangladesh 2026". South Asian Football Federation. 25 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Anish Anand (4 July 2023). "Gurpreet Singh Sandhu the penalty hero again as India beat Kuwait to become SAFF champions". ESPN. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ↑ Triyasha Chatterjee (23 April 2025). "SAFF Championship postponed to 2026; Sri Lanka to host invitational tournament instead". Khel Now. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
- ↑ "සාෆ් පාපන්දු තරගාවලිය සැප්තැම්බර් 21 වැනිදා සිට". Kelimandala (in Sinhala). 26 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ↑ "India withdraw from FIFA ASEAN Cup, leaving S'pore and two other teams in Premier Div Group A". The Straits Times. 13 August 2026. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ "India out of FIFA ASEAN Cup, plan two more big friendlies". The Times of India. 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ "India out, Bangladesh in for FIFA ASEAN Cup". Daily Star. 14 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bangladesh to host 2026 SAFF Championship from November 4–17". South Asian Football Federation. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "Bangladesh confirmed as host of 2026 SAFF Championship". bdnews24.com. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- ↑ Arooj Fatima (21 July 2026). "Bangladesh Set to Host SAFF Championship 2026". Pro Sports. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Paudel, Nayak (1 August 2026). "Nepal's SAFF Championship hopes hinge on FIFA lifting ANFA suspension". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- 1 2 "The FIFA World Ranking (Men)". FIFA. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- ↑ "Dhaka to host SAFF Championship from Nov 4–17". The Daily Star. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Ahmed, Kamran (25 July 2026). "TECNO Becomes Title Sponsor as SAFF Championship Bangladesh 2026 Officially Launches". Dazzling Dawn. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
- ↑ "SAFF Championship draw today: What you need to know". The Daily Star. 1 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ "SAFF Championship draw set | Nepal's fate hangs in balance". Daily Sun. 1 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026. [dead link]
- 1 2 3 "SAFF Championship 2026 – Full schedule, teams, venue, kick-off timing, live streaming info". The Hindu. 5 November 2026. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
- ↑ "Toffee secures digital rights to stream SAFF Championship". The Daily Star. 14 October 2026. Retrieved 11 November 2026.
- ↑ "SAFF Championship 2026: India vs Pakistan in opener - full schedule, where to watch live". Olympics. 4 November 2026. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
- ↑ "SAFF Championship 2026: Schedule, History & Teams". 16 October 2026.
- ↑ "Watch the 2026 SAFF Championship LIVE on Medianet+ for FREE!". Medianet. 7 November 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.