Qualification of Clubs
| country | clubs |
|---|---|
 India | 2 |
 Bangladesh | 1 |
 Nepal | 1 |
 Pakistan | 1 |
 Bhutan | 1 |
 Sri Lanka | 1 |
 Maldives | 1 |
| Organising body | SAFF |
|---|---|
| Region | South Asia |
| Number of teams | 8 (from 1 sub-confederation) |
The SAFF Club Championship also known as South Asian Football League is a proposed premier men's football club tournament in South Asia. It is proposed to be organized by the South Asian Football Federation and will be open to clubs representing its seven members. The first edition was expected to be held in 2024 was postponed to 2026. [1]
SAFF president Kazi Salahuddin had wanted to create a regional club competition since he was first elected to the position in 2009. For over a decade, the plan was stalled because of a lack of sponsors. [2] In May 2023, it was announced following the federation's Ordinary Congress in Dhaka, Bangladesh that the competition would likely be held for the first time in 2024. [3] All seven member associations agreed on its creation and to participate in the first edition of the tournament. It was planned that each member association would receive one spot in the competition, with the All India Football Federation granted two spots as the largest member, for a total of eight participants. [4]
Originally, it was proposed that the tournament would be held at a central location over two weeks. However, that was then amended to a home-and-away format at the request of India. It was imagined as being played over six or seven months during the domestic league seasons. [4]
| country | clubs |
|---|---|
| India | 2 |
| Bangladesh | 1 |
| Nepal | 1 |
| Pakistan | 1 |
| Bhutan | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 |
| Maldives | 1 |
| Year | Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | – |
Association football is one of the most popular sports in India. The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the first FIFA event the country hosted. It was called the most successful FIFA U-17 World Cup ever, with a record-breaking attendance of 1,347,133, exceeding China's record of 1,230,976 from 1985. India also hosted the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and bid to host the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The Bhutan national football team represents Bhutan in men's international football. The team is controlled by the governing body for football in Bhutan, the Bhutan Football Federation, which is a member of the Asian Football Federation and the regional body the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). The national football team of Bhutan plays its home games at the national stadium, Changlimithang.
The Afghanistan national football team is the national football team of Afghanistan and is controlled by the Afghanistan Football Federation. Founded in 1922, they played their first international game against Iran in Kabul, 1941. Afghanistan then joined FIFA in 1948 and the AFC in 1954, as one of the founding members. They play their home games at the Ghazi National Olympic Stadium in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. In 2013, Afghanistan won the 2013 SAFF Championship and earned the "FIFA Fair Play Award". Afghanistan has never qualified for the AFC Asian Cup.
The Bangladesh national football team is the national recognised football team of Bangladesh and is controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since 1973 and of FIFA since 1976, even though the Bangladesh Football Federation was first founded in 1972. Bangladesh was elected as a member of the AFC Executive Committee in 1982–1986 and 1998–2002. The current Executive Committee was elected democratically, under an AFC approved constitution and direct supervision of FIFA & AFC, in October 2020.
The Maldives national football team represents the Maldives in international football and is controlled by the Football Association of Maldives. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The Sri Lanka national football team represents Sri Lanka in Association football and is administered by Football Federation of Sri Lanka, the governing body of football in Sri Lanka. They have been a member of FIFA since 1952 and a member of AFC since 1954. Sri Lanka's home stadium is the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Sri Lankan team was known as the Ceylon national football team until 1972 when Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka.
The Pakistan national football team represents Pakistan in men's international football in FIFA-authorized events and is controlled by the Pakistan Football Federation, the governing body for football in Pakistan. Pakistan became a member of FIFA in 1948 and joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1950.
South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) is an association of the football playing nations in South Asia which is a regional subsidiary of Asian Football Confederation, incorporated in 1997. The members of the association are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The India women's national football team represents India at women's international football competitions and is governed by the All India Football Federation. Under the global jurisdiction of FIFA and governed in Asia by the AFC. India is also part of the South Asian Football Federation. The team was one of the best in Asia in the mid-1970s to early 1980s, when they became runners-up in the 1979 and the 1983 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
The South Asian Football Federation Championship, is the main subcontinental international association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). All seven teams are eligible to compete in tournament.
The India national under-23 football team represents India in international under-23 football and is controlled by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). A member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the team is eligible to compete in the Summer Olympic Games, the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, and the Asian Games, subject to qualification.
The India national under-17 football team represents India in international football at the under-17 level. Controlled by the All India Football Federation, the governing body for football in India, the team is part of the Asian Football Confederation and the South Asian Football Federation.
Biplob Bhattacharjee, alternatively spelled Biplob Bhattacharya, is a Bangladeshi retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He represented the Bangladesh national team between 1997 and 2013.
The Bangladesh women's national football team is the women's national association football team of Bangladesh controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation under the supervision of the women's football committee. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation and has yet to qualify for the World Cup or an AFC Women's Asian Cup finals.
The Pakistan women's national football team is the female representative in international women's football for Pakistan. The team was formed in 2010 and has not yet qualified for the AFC Women's Asian Cup or the FIFA Women's World Cup, but has competed in four editions of the biennial SAFF Women's Championship.
The SAFF Women's Championship, also called the South Asian Football Federation Women's Cup, is a competition for women's national football teams governed by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). All seven members are eligible to participate in the tournament.
The Pakistan national under-17 football team is a youth football team operated under the Pakistan Football Federation. The team represents Pakistan in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup and the SAFF U-15/16/17 Championship, winning the latter's inaugural edition, and is yet to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The Indian women's national under-17 football team represents India in international women's under-17 football. The team is controlled by the governing body for football in India, the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The federation is currently a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).
2026 SAFF Club Championship or 2026 South Asian Football League is the inaugural edition of the SAFF Club Championship, an international men's club football championship of South Asia organised by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), was stalled for over a decade due to lack of sponsors.
| Global |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | ||
| Asia | ||
| Europe | ||
| North, Central America and the Caribbean | ||
| Oceania | ||
| South America | ||
See also: International women's club football | ||