SAFF Championship: Defending champions India grouped with Pakistan, Maldives

SAFF Championships: Defending champions India have been drawn with Pakistan and Maldives in Group B of the SAFF Championship 2026. The Blue Tigers begin their campaign against Maldives on November 5 as they target a record-extending 10th South Asian title.

In Short

• India drawn with Pakistan and Maldives in SAFF Championship Group B
• Blue Tigers begin title defence against Maldives on November 5
• India chasing a record-extending 10th SAFF Championship crown

India will renew one of South Asian football's biggest rivalries after being drawn alongside Pakistan and Maldives in Group B of the SAFF Championship 2026. The draw, conducted in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Saturday, handed the defending champions a favourable group as they bid for a record-extending 10th continental title.

The 15th edition of the SAFF Championship will be staged in Dhaka from November 4 to 17. India will open their campaign against Maldives on November 5 before facing Pakistan in a much-anticipated clash on November 11. The Blue Tigers enter the tournament as the most successful side in the competition's history, having lifted the trophy nine times.

Hosts Bangladesh headline Group A alongside Sri Lanka and Bhutan. Nepal could also join the group if FIFA lifts its suspension of the All Nepal Football Association by September 1. If the ban remains in place, the tournament will proceed with six participating teams instead of seven.

ROAD TO TITLE

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, where the Group A winners will meet the Group B runners-up, while the Group B winners will take on the Group A runners-up. The semi-finals are scheduled for November 14, with the final to be played on November 17.

India will be confident of advancing based on their impressive record against both group-stage opponents. The Blue Tigers have dominated Pakistan over the years, winning 16 of their 25 meetings while drawing seven and losing only twice. Their most recent encounter came in the 2023 SAFF Championship, when India secured a commanding 4-0 victory.

The record against Maldives is equally encouraging. India have won 13 of the 18 meetings between the two sides, with two draws and three defeats. Their latest clash came in an international friendly in Shillong in March 2025, where India registered a comfortable 3-0 win.

Having won the SAFF Championship in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023, India remain the benchmark in South Asian football. The Blue Tigers defeated guest nation Kuwait in the 2023 final in Bengaluru to lift their ninth title and will now head to Dhaka aiming to further strengthen their dominance in the regional competition with another successful campaign.

- Ends