SAFF Championship postponed to 2026; Sri Lanka to host invitational tournament instead

India are the defending champions of the SAFF Championship.

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, originally slated for July 2025 in Sri Lanka, has now been pushed back to 2026. The postponement comes after the SAFF Executive Committee decided to reconsider the structure of the tournament due to logistical challenges associated with the proposed home-and-away format.

Ali Umar, who is an Executive Committee member of the South Asian Football Federation, as quoted by The Edition, revealed that their Marketing Partner, SportsFive, played a significant role in influencing the decision. According to Umar, the German sports marketing agency prefers the championship to be conducted in a home-and-away model to ensure higher commercial value.

However, executing such a format this year was not feasible, both in terms of time and costs, as it would extend the tournament over two months. Thus, Sri Lanka was decided as the centralised venue with the tournament slated from June 22 to July 5, 2025.

Sri Lanka to host an invitational tournament

With the postponement confirmed, focus has shifted to organising an invitational tournament in Sri Lanka in July 2025. Although specific details about this new competition are yet to be announced, the Sri Lanka Football Federation is coordinating with SAFF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to finalise the plans.

This shift in plans initially followed SAFF’s attempt to revert to a centralised model, with Sri Lanka designated as the host. However, SportsFive reportedly favoured Bangladesh or India for centralised hosting, citing better sponsorship prospects. SAFF, lacking the financial resources to stage the event independently, was left with little choice but to delay the championship.

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.