Bangladesh and India Drawn in Separate Groups for 2026 SAFF Championship

Hosts Bangladesh and regional powerhouse India have been placed in separate groups for the 2026 SAFF Championship, following the tournament draw held in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Saturday.

Bangladesh have been drawn in Group A alongside Sri Lanka and Bhutan, while India will headline Group B with the Maldives and Pakistan.

The draw was arranged in a way that prevented Bangladesh and India from meeting during the group stage. As hosts, Bangladesh were placed in one pot, while India were seeded separately as the highest-ranked team in South Asia.

The 2026 SAFF Championship will be held in Dhaka from November 4 to 17. Bangladesh last hosted the regional football tournament in 2018 and will now return as hosts with an opportunity to compete in front of home supporters.

According to the draw, Group A currently consists of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Group B features India, the Maldives and Pakistan.


The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, setting up the knockout stage after the completion of the group matches.

Bangladesh's group could potentially include one additional team. Nepal was not included in Saturday's draw because the country is currently suspended by FIFA.

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) said it will wait until the stipulated deadline before making a final decision regarding Nepal's participation. If FIFA lifts the suspension within the required timeframe, Nepal will be added to Group A alongside Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

The potential inclusion of Nepal would make Group A a four-team group, while Group B would remain unchanged.

For Bangladesh, the tournament represents an important opportunity to build momentum in regional football while benefiting from home advantage. The national team will face Sri Lanka and Bhutan in the group stage under the current draw, with the possibility of Nepal joining later.

India, meanwhile, enter the competition as the highest-ranked team in South Asia and have been placed in a group featuring the Maldives and Pakistan. Their seeding ensured that they would not face Bangladesh before the semifinal stage.

The separate group placement means Bangladesh and India could still meet later in the tournament if both teams finish among the top two in their respective groups and advance through the knockout stage.

The tournament will bring together several of South Asia's leading national teams in Dhaka, with the competition expected to draw significant attention from football supporters across the region.

Bangladesh's status as host will add further interest to the event, particularly as the national team seeks to make a strong impression in front of its home crowd.

The organisers are expected to finalise the participating teams once the situation surrounding Nepal's FIFA suspension becomes clear. Until then, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan remain the confirmed teams in Group A, while India, the Maldives and Pakistan form Group B.

With the tournament scheduled for November, the participating teams will have several months to prepare for the competition. The group-stage results will determine the semifinal matchups and ultimately shape the route to the SAFF Championship final.

For Bangladesh, the immediate objective will be to secure one of the top two positions in Group A and advance to the semifinals on home soil.