SAFF Championship 2026: Full Schedule, Host Country and Participating Nations

SAFF Championship Full Schedule: 4th-17th Nov 2026

The 15th edition of South Asia’s men’s football tournament runs from 4 to 17 November 2026. Group matches so far:

• 5 Nov: Pakistan 2-3 India; Bhutan 0-1 Bangladesh
• 8 Nov: Maldives 0-3 Pakistan; Sri Lanka 2-2 Bhutan
• 11 Nov: India 1-0 Maldives; Bangladesh 4-0 Sri Lanka
• Semi-finals (14 Nov): India vs Bhutan; Bangladesh vs Pakistan
• Final (17 Nov): Winners of the two semi-finals

TECNO SAFF Championship 2026 Host Country

Bangladesh is the host, and every match is played at the National Stadium in Dhaka, which holds 22,400 fans. The tournament is called the TECNO SAFF Championship because Tecno Mobile is its sponsor.

The venue changed several times. It was first planned as a home-and-away event, then moved to Sri Lanka. It was postponed to 2026 to line up with the FIFA World Cup. Sri Lanka then withdrew as host due to logistical limits, and in January 2026 SAFF chose Dhaka. The dates later moved from 21 September-6 October to November because India had accepted an invitation to the FIFA ASEAN Cup.

Participating Nations in SAFF Championship 2026

Six SAFF members are playing: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Nepal is out because FIFA’s suspension had not been lifted by the 30 September 2026 deadline. India are defending champions after beating guest team Kuwait in the 2023 final.

SAFF Championship 2026 Squads

Each team had to register 18 to 23 players, including at least three goalkeepers. In November 2026, the maximum was raised to 28. The All India Football Federation announced that India would send a second-string squad.

SAFF Championship 2026 Participating Countries