NN Online:
The 15th edition of the SAFF Championship, originally scheduled for July 2025 in Sri Lanka, has been postponed to 2026, according to an announcement from the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).
In a statement released Thursday, SAFF said it had initially planned to conduct the tournament in a home-and-away format. However, after discussions with member associations and marketing partner SportFive, it was determined that more preparations were needed to successfully execute the event.
“We have decided to postpone the SAFF Championship to 2026 to allow sufficient time for all stakeholders to organize the tournament on a grand scale,” the statement read.
Maldivian news outlet The Edition quoted SAFF Executive Committee member Ali Umar, who explained that the delay stemmed from logistical challenges. The marketing partner prefers a home-and-away model, which would extend the tournament over two months—making it financially unviable this year. A centralized format with Sri Lanka as hosts was considered, but SAFF lacks the funding to independently stage the event.
India has won the tournament nine times, followed by Maldives with two titles. Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka have each claimed one championship. The most recent edition was held in 2023 in Bengaluru, where India defeated guest nation Kuwait to win the title.
