India drawn with Pakistan, Maldives in SAFF Championship 2026

Defending champions India have been drawn with Maldives and Pakistan in Group B of the SAFF Championship 2026, to be held in Bangladesh from November 4 to 17. The Blue Tigers will begin their campaign against Maldives on November 5

Hyderabad: The Indian men’s national team have been drawn with Maldives and Pakistan in Group B of the SAFF Championship 2026, following the draw conducted in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Saturday.

The 15th edition of the sub-continental tournament will be hosted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from November 4 to 17.

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Defending champions India, chasing a record-extending 10th SAFF Championship title, will begin their campaign against Maldives on November 5 before taking on Pakistan on November 11.

Hosts Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are placed in Group A. If FIFA’s suspension of the All Nepal Football Association is lifted by September 1, Nepal will be included in Group A. If the suspension remains, the SAFF Championship 2026 will go ahead with six teams.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, with the Group A winners meeting the Group B runners-up and vice versa. The semifinals will take place on November 14, and the final will be held on November 17.

India have a splendid head-to-head record against both their group-stage opponents. The Blue Tigers have won 16 of their 25 meetings against Pakistan, drawing seven and losing only two. Their last meeting was in the SAFF Championship 2023, with India securing a dominant 4-0 win.

Against Maldives, India have a record of 13 wins, two draws and three losses in 18 encounters. Their last meeting was in an international friendly in March 2025, when India secured a 3-0 win in Shillong.

India have won the SAFF Championship on nine previous occasions: 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021 and most recently in 2023, when the Blue Tigers defeated guest side Kuwait in the final in Bengaluru.