Bangladesh will take centre stage in South Asian football as the SAFF Championship 2026 begins in Dhaka on November 5, bringing six national teams together for the region's leading international football tournament.
The 15th edition of the competition will run until November 17, with matches scheduled at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
The opening day features two highly anticipated matches. Pakistan will face regional rivals India at 3:30 pm Bangladesh time, before hosts Bangladesh take on Bhutan at 8 pm.
Bangladesh have been drawn in Group A alongside Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Group B consists of India, Pakistan and the Maldives.
The tournament offers Bangladesh an opportunity to compete for a title they have not won since 2003, when they defeated the Maldives in the final on home soil.
Bangladesh reached the semifinals in the previous edition in 2023 but were eliminated by Kuwait after conceding in extra time.
Bangladesh's road through the group stage
The home team will begin its campaign against Bhutan on November 5. Its second group-stage match will be against Sri Lanka on November 11, also scheduled for 8 pm.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, which are scheduled for November 14. The championship final will take place on November 17.
Playing at home could provide Bangladesh with an important advantage, although the team will need strong performances against its group opponents to reach the knockout stage.
Regional rivalries return to Dhaka
India enter the competition as the most successful team in SAFF Championship history, with nine titles. The Maldives have won twice, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have each won the competition once.
The return of the tournament to Bangladesh is particularly significant because the country last hosted the competition in 2018.
For football supporters, the opening fixtures provide an immediate opportunity to assess the strength of the competing teams and Bangladesh's prospects.
The tournament will also provide an important test of Bangladesh's ability to organise and host a major regional football competition.
With the opening matches approaching, attention will turn to whether the home side can convert its home advantage into another championship campaign.
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