Maldives face Pakistan in SAFF Championship opener in Dhaka on 8 November
Maldives open their SAFF Championship 2026 campaign against Pakistan on 8 November and meet India on 11 November in Dhaka, according to the South Asian Football Federation.
The Maldives national team open their TECNO SAFF Championship Bangladesh 2026 campaign against Pakistan on 8 November at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
Their second group game, against defending champions India, follows on 11 November. Every match of the tournament, which the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) has scheduled for 5 to 17 November, is being played at the same venue.
Dates for Maldives fans
- Sunday 8 November, 14:30 MVT: Maldives v Pakistan
- Wednesday 11 November, 14:30 MVT: India v Maldives
Format
Six nations are divided into two groups of three, and each side meets its two group opponents once. The top two finishers in each group go through to the semi-finals on 14 November, and the title is decided on 17 November.
- Group A: Bangladesh (hosts), Sri Lanka, Bhutan
- Group B: India, Maldives, Pakistan
Complete fixture list (MVT)
- 5 November: Pakistan v India, 14:30; Bhutan v Bangladesh, 19:00
- 8 November: Maldives v Pakistan, 14:30; Sri Lanka v Bhutan, 19:00
- 11 November: India v Maldives, 14:30; Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, 19:00
- 14 November (semi-finals): Group B winners v Group A runners-up, 14:00; Group A winners v Group B runners-up, 19:30
- 17 November: final, 19:00
All kick-off times are in Maldives time; Dhaka is an hour ahead. SAFF has cautioned that the schedule could still be revised.
Past Maldives successes
Dhaka holds good memories for the Maldives: it was there, in the 2018 final, that the team defeated India 2–1 to claim the second of their two SAFF titles. The first came in 2008, again against India, with a 1–0 win in the final.
The Maldives have also finished as runners-up three times, in 1997, 2003 and 2009. India hold the record with nine titles and arrive as holders, having won the 2023 edition.