Pakistan, India slotted in same group as draws for SAFF Championship 2026 unveiled

KARACHI: The Pakistan men's football team has been placed in the same group as their arch-rivals India for this year's South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, scheduled to be played in Bangladesh from November 4 to 17.

The two traditional rivals will be joined by Maldives in Group B, while hosts Bangladesh were placed in Group A alongside Nepal and Bhutan at the draws, held in Thimpu on Saturday.

India will enter the six-team tournament as the defending champions, having lifted the title in 2023 by defeating Kuwait on home soil.

Notably, the SAFF Championship 2026 was initially slated to feature seven teams, but Nepal Football Association's suspension by FIFA brought the number of sides down to six.

As per the tournament format, each team will play their groupmates once in the league stage, with the two sides following its completion advancing into the semi-finals.

For the unversed, before the SAFF Championship 2026, the Pakistan men's football team is due to participate in the FIFA ASEAN Cup, set to be played in Indonesia during the September-October international window of the apex body.

The tournament will mark a historic milestone for Pakistan football as the men's national team prepares to make its debut in a FIFA competition. It follows the women's national team's participation in the FIFA Series earlier this year.

Pakistan are among 14 teams taking part in the inaugural competition and one of eight nations competing in the top-tier FIFA ASEAN Cup.

The Green Shirts have been drawn in Division One Group B, alongside Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, while Division One Group A comprises India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.