Dhaka: Defending champions Bangladesh has been drawn alongside host India and Maldives in Group B of the 8th edition of the SAFF Women’s Championship 2026, which is scheduled to take place from May 25 to June 7 in Goa. The official draw of the SAFF was conducted today at the SAFF Secretariat in Dhaka.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Group A consists of Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. All matches of the SAFF Women’s Championship will be held at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. This will be the second time India hosts the SAFF Women’s Championship, following the 2016 edition in Siliguri, West Bengal, where the Blue Tigresses secured their fourth title. Goa will also host a SAFF tournament for the second time.
The seeding for the SAFF Women’s Championship 2026 draw was based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings as of April 21. India, ranked 69th, and Nepal, ranked 87th, were placed in Pot 1. Bangladesh, ranked 112th, and Sri Lanka, ranked 162nd, were placed in Pot 2. Bhutan, ranked 164th, and Maldives, ranked 167th, were placed in Pot 3.
Bangladesh has won the last two editions of the SAFF in 2022 and 2024, while India holds the record as five-time champions with titles in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019.