2026 SAFF Championship
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Sri Lanka |
| Dates | June – July 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
[edit | edit source]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
[edit | edit source]All the seven SAFF members will compete.
| Country | Appearance | Previous best performance | FIFA ranking (17 October 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh | 13th | Champions (2003) | 180 |
| File:Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan | 9th | Semi-finals (2008) | 189 |
| File:Flag of India.svg India | 14th | Champions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023) | 136 |
| File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives | 12th | Champions (2008, 2018) | 173 |
| File:Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal | 14th | Runners-up (2021) | 180 |
| File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan | 12th | Third-place (1997) | 198 |
| File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka | 14th | Champions (1995) | 193 |
Squads
[edit | edit source]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
[edit | edit source]Group A
[edit | edit source]
| 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
[edit | edit source]
| 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
[edit | edit source]The marketing rights for the tournament have been awarded to Sportfive until 2029, with the championship occurring biennially.[1][8]
Sponsorship
[edit | edit source]| Title partner | Presenting partners | Official sponsors | Performance partner | Commercial partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Broadcasting
[edit | edit source]See also
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| Men's Championships | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | Under-20 | Under-23 | Senior | Futsal | Club |
| Women's Championships | |||||
| TBD | TBD | — | — | 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
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b khelnow
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