RowenaProctor6 at 22:58, 6 May 2026

2026-05-06T22:58:14Z

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{{Short description|Association football tournament in South Asia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date= May 2023}}
{{Infobox international football competition
| tourney_name = [[SAFF Club Championship]]
| other_titles = لیگ لوبڈلہ جنوبی ایشیا 2026
| country = Pakistan
| year = 2026
| dates = July<ref>{{cite web|title=SAFF Club Championship to comprise two teams from India|url=https://khelnow.com/football/2023-12-indian-football-saff-club-championship-two-teams-from-india|access-date=21 December 2023|archive-date=21 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221090333/https://khelnow.com/football/2023-12-indian-football-saff-club-championship-two-teams-from-india|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=SAFF executive committee announce inaugural SAFF club championship|date=8 January 2025|url=https://khelnow.com/football/indian-football-saff-executive-committee-reveals-inaugural-saff-club-championship-202501}}</ref>
| num_teams = 8
| associations = 7
| venues =
| cities =
| champion =
| count =
| second =
| matches =
| goals =
| attendance =
| top_scorer =
| player =
| goalkeeper =
| nextseason = [[2027 SAFF Club Championship|2027]]
| updated =
}}

'''2026 SAFF Club Championship''' will be the inaugural edition of the [[SAFF Club Championship]], an international men's club [[association football|football]] championship of [[South Asia|South Asian]] countries organised by the [[South Asian Football Federation]] (SAFF). It was stalled for over a decade due to lack of sponsors.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1751320/saff-announces-start-of-club-championship-from-next-year#:~:text=The%20new%20development%20is%20that,set%20for%20a%202024%20start.|date=6 May 2023|title=SAFF announces start of club championship from next year|work=www.dawn.com|access-date=7 May 2023|archive-date=7 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507103901/https://www.dawn.com/news/1751320/saff-announces-start-of-club-championship-from-next-year#:~:text=The%20new%20development%20is%20that,set%20for%20a%202024%20start.|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/201018/first-ever-saff-club-cship-likely-next-year|date=6 May 2023|title=First-ever SAFF Club C'ship likely next year|work=www.newagebd.net|access-date=7 May 2023|archive-date=6 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506223516/https://www.newagebd.net/article/201018/first-ever-saff-club-cship-likely-next-year|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/news/saff-club-cship-next-year-3313111|date=6 May 2023|title=SAFF Club C'ship from next year|work=www.thedailystar.net|access-date=7 May 2023|archive-date=6 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506232500/https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/news/saff-club-cship-next-year-3313111|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.prothomalo.com/sports/football/x5ilnjbjn1|date=6 May 2023|title=সাফ ক্লাব চ্যাম্পিয়নশিপ হতে পারে আগামী বছর থেকে|language=bn|work=www.prothomalo.com|access-date=7 May 2023|archive-date=7 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507122814/https://www.prothomalo.com/amp/story/sports/football/x5ilnjbjn1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>https://www.newagebd.net/post/others/254845/saff-2025-to-be-held-on-home-and-away-format</ref>

==Format==
Initially, a centralized venue was planned for the tournament. Eventually, a home-and-away format was finalized as the [[All India Football Federation|AIFF]] expressed reservations over allotting two weeks during the regular Indian football calendar. It was planned to be held in 2024, but postponed to 2026.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.news9live.com/sports/football/saff-mulls-home-and-away-system-for-its-inaugural-club-championship-2143586|date=17 May 2023|title=SAFF mulls home and away system for its inaugural club championship|language=en|work=www.news9live.com|access-date=24 May 2023|archive-date=24 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524070252/https://www.news9live.com/sports/football/saff-mulls-home-and-away-system-for-its-inaugural-club-championship-2143586|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1751320|date=7 May 2023|title=SAFF announces start of club championship from next year|language=en|work=www.dawn.com|access-date=24 May 2023|archive-date=24 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524070252/https://www.dawn.com/news/1751320|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Association team allocation==
A total of 8 teams from 7 SAFF member associations are set to participate in the 2026 SAFF Club Championship. The association ranking based on the [[AFC club competitions ranking|AFC member association coefficient rankings]] is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association. This will include two teams from [[All India Football Federation|India]] and one team from [[Football Association of Maldives|Maldives]], [[All Nepal Football Association|Nepal]], [[Bhutan Football Federation|Bhutan]], [[Pakistan Football Federation|Pakistan]], [[Bangladesh Football Federation|Bangladesh]] and [[Football Federation of Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=SAFF Club Championship to comprise two teams from India |url=https://khelnow.com/football/2023-12-indian-football-saff-club-championship-two-teams-from-india |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Khel Now |language=en |archive-date=21 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221090333/https://khelnow.com/football/2023-12-indian-football-saff-club-championship-two-teams-from-india |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Two spots for India in the inaugural SAFF Club Championship |date=7 December 2023 |url=https://thebridge.in/football/two-india-2024-saff-club-championship-45070 |publisher=thebridge.in |access-date=7 December 2023 |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180744/https://thebridge.in/football/two-india-2024-saff-club-championship-45070 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!bgcolor=#f7f8ff colspan=2|Participation for 2026 SAFF Club Championship
|-
|bgcolor=#90ee77 width=20| ||Participating
|-
|bgcolor=#ffcccc width=20| ||Not participating
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="20%" |[[AFC club competitions ranking|SAFF]] rank
! width="25%" |Member association
!width=20%|Slots
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| align="center" |1
|{{flagicon|IND}} [[All India Football Federation|India]]
| align="center" |2
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| align="center" |2
|{{flagicon|BAN}} [[Bangladesh Football Federation|Bangladesh]]
| align="center" |1
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| align="center" |3
|{{flagicon|Maldives }} [[Football Association of Maldives|Maldives]]
| align="center" |1
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| align="center" |4
|{{flagicon|NEP}} [[All Nepal Football Association|Nepal]]
| align="center" |1
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| align="center" |5
|{{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} [[Football Federation of Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]]
| align="center" |1
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| align="center" |6
|{{flagicon|Bhutan}} [[Bhutan Football Federation|Bhutan]]
| align="center" |1
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| align="center" |7
|{{flagicon|PAK}} [[Pakistan Football Federation|Pakistan]]
|align=center|1
|-
!colspan=1 rowspan=1|Total
!colspan=1 rowspan=1|Participating associations: 7
!colspan=1 rowspan=1|8
|}

==Teams==
The following teams will participate in the tournament:<ref name="Pakistani club to participate">{{cite web |last1=Lakhani |first1=Faizan |title=Pakistani club to participate in SAFF's inaugural club championship |url=https://www.geosuper.tv/latest/30371-pakistani-club-to-participate-in-saffs-inaugural-club-championship |publisher=Geo Super |access-date=30 November 2023 |archive-date=28 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128043920/https://www.geosuper.tv/latest/30371-pakistani-club-to-participate-in-saffs-inaugural-club-championship |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Participants
|-
!Team
!Qualifying method
|-
|{{fbaicon|IND}} ''TBD''
|[[2025–26 Indian Super League]] runners-up
|-
|{{fbaicon|IND}} ''TBD''
|[[2025–26 Indian Super League]] third place
|-
|{{fbaicon|BAN}} ''TBD''
|[[2025–26 Bangladesh Football League|2025–26 Bangladesh Premier League]] champions
|-
|{{fbaicon|BHU}} [[Paro FC|Paro]]
|[[2025 Bhutan Premier League]] champions
|-
|{{fbaicon|MDV}} [[Maziya S&RC|Maziya]]
|[[2025–26 Dhivehi Premier League]] champions
|-
|{{fbaicon|NEP}} ''TBD''
|[[2026 ANFA National League]] champions
|-
|{{fbaicon|PAK}} ''TBD''
|[[2025–26 Pakistan Premier League]] champions
|-
|{{fbaicon|SRI}} ''TBD''
|[[2025–26 Sri Lanka Super League]] champions
|}

==Bracket==
The matches will be played in home and away [[knockout]] format.<ref>{{Cite web |title=@MarcusMargulhao: SAFF Club Championship will have eight teams, including two from India, the highest-ranked member association. |url=https://twitter.com/MarcusMergulhao/status/1732749583749701926 |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180801/https://twitter.com/MarcusMergulhao/status/1732749583749701926 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket-2Leg|seeds=yes|game-score-width=|group1=|RD1-group1=|leg-width=|aggregate=|noseeds=|group2=|score-width=bbbb|group3=|RD2-group1=[[Gokulam Kerala FC]]}}

==Quarter-finals==
{{TwoLegStart}}
{{TwoLegResult|||||||}}
{{TwoLegResult|||||||}}
{{TwoLegResult|||||||}}
{{TwoLegResult|||||||}}
|}

==Semi-finals==
{{TwoLegStart}}
{{TwoLegResult|||||||}}
{{TwoLegResult|||||||}}
|}

==Final==
{{TwoLegStart}}
{{TwoLegResult|||||||}}
|}

== See also ==
*[[2026 SAFF U-23 Championship]]
*[[2026 SAFF Futsal Championship]]
*[[2026 SAFF Women's Championship]]
*[[2026 SAFF Women's Futsal Championship]]
* [[2026 CAFA Silk Way Cup]]
* [[2025–26 ASEAN Club Championship]]
* [[2025–26 AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{SAFF Football}}
{{AFC teams}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:SAFF competitions]]

2026 SAFF Club Championship - Revision history

RowenaProctor6 at 22:58, 6 May 2026