| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Bangladesh |
| Dates | September –October 2026 |
| Teams | 7 (from 1 sub-confederation) |
| Venue | 1 (in 1 host city) |
← 2023 2028 → | |
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]
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]
Participating nations
All the seven SAFF members will compete.
| Country | Appearance | Previous best performance | FIFA ranking (22 December 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bangladesh
|
13th | Champions (2003) | 180  (22 December 2025)[8]
|
 Bhutan
|
9th | Semi-finals (2008) | 192 (22 December 2025)[8]
|
 India
|
14th | Champions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023) | 142 (22 December 2025)[8]
|
 Maldives
|
12th | Champions (2008, 2018) | 173 (22 December 2025)[8]
|
 Nepal
|
14th | Runners-up (2021) | 182 (22 December 2025)[8]
|
 Pakistan
|
12th | Third-place (1997) | 199 (22 December 2025)[8]
|
 Sri Lanka
|
14th | Champions (1995) | 194 (22 December 2025)[8]
|
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
The marketing rights for the tournament have been awarded to Sportfive until 2029, with the championship occurring biennially.[1][9]
Sponsorship
| Title partner | Presenting partners | Official sponsors | Performance partner | Commercial partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Broadcasting
| Country | Broadcaster | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh
|
||
| Bhutan
|
||
| India
|
||
| Maldives
|
||
| Nepal
|
||
| Pakistan
|
||
| Sri Lanka
|
See also
| Men's Championships | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | Under-20 | Under-23 | Senior | Futsal | Club |
| Women's Championships | |||||
| TBD | TBD | N/a | N/a | Futsal | TBD |
- 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
- 2025 CAFA Nations Cup
- 2026 WAFF Championship
- 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
- 2027 AFC Asian Cup
References
- ^ a b khelnow
- ^ "Format of SAFF Championship likely to change". unb.com.bd. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ "Gurpreet Singh Sandhu the penalty hero again as India beat Kuwait to become SAFF champions". ESPN.com. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ "Sri Lanka to host the SAFF Championship 2025 after 17 years . FFSL President Jaswar Umar currently in Nepal confirmed the hosting".
- ^ "No home-and-away model for the SAFF Championship 2025; the tournament stays centralized".
- ^ "SAFF Championship postponed to 2026; Sri Lanka to host invitational tournament instead". Khel Now. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
- ^ "15th SAFF Championship postponed until 2026". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 22 December 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
- ^ Wijewickrama, Navod (8 January 2025). "Ex.Co approves home or away format for SAFF Championship". ThePapare. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
