What happened the last time India met Pakistan in SAFF Championship?
India enjoys a big head-to-head advantage against Pakistan in football.
The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship 2026 is set to kick off in Bangladesh on 5th November, days before the November international break officially begins.
India, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan are the six nations that will be competing in the tournament.
India’s national football team will be playing at the tournament under the coaching of Naushad Moosa. The Blue Tigers are also playing New Zealand in two friendlies during the upcoming international window, and hence their squad has been split into two to play in both competitions.
The opening game of the SAFF Championship 2026 will see rivals, the Blue Tigers and Pakistan, play each other at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday. Here is what happened the last time these two nations played each other on a football field.
India’s last meeting against Pakistan in international football
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
India’s latest meeting against Pakistan came in the SAFF Championship 2023, when the two nations played each other at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
This was a Group A match in the context of the tournament, which was taken over by none other than Sunil Chhetri, who took home all the accolades in front of the vocal supporters.
Sunil Chhetri scored a hat-trick on the night courtesy of two penalties, while Udanta Singh added a fourth goal in the 81st minute, which was assisted by Anwar Ali.
The game in itself was a heated affair, as expected. India’s head coach Igor Stimac was sent off after getting involved in a tussle before half-time, which included the players and coaching staff from both teams.
India’s 4-0 win over Pakistan helped them finish runners-up in the group. The Blue Tigers remained unbeaten in the tournament, only dropping points to Kuwait in a draw in the group stage.
Igor Stimac’s side would then beat Lebanon and Kuwait on penalties in the semi-final and the final to win their 9th SAFF Championship.
Pakistan, on the other hand, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Nepal and a 4-0 defeat to Kuwait, ending their campaign at the bottom of Group A with zero points.
History of India vs Pakistan in previous SAFF Championships
The two nations have played each other 9 times in the SAFF Championship in previous editions, with India winning 7 of these matches.
Pakistan’s last win against the Blue Tigers in the SAFF Championship came all the way back in 2003 when they beat India 2-1 in the tournament.
The Falcons have never won this tournament before, and a third-place finish in 1997 is their best finish to date. This young Indian side, led by Naushad Moosa, will be eager to continue their winning streak against Pakistan.
Many players have received their chance to represent India for the first time in their careers, and they would be looking to make the most of it by winning the SAFF Championship 2026.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.