SAFF Championship Winners List: India 9 Titles, Pakistan in Their First Final in 2026
India have won the SAFF Championship 9 times and Pakistan never. See every winner since 1993, titles by country and Pakistan's record before the 2026 final.
India have won the SAFF Championship 9 times in 14 editions, and Pakistan have never won it. The Maldives have 2 titles, and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have 1 each. Pakistan reach their first final in 2026 and play India in Dhaka on Tuesday 17 November at 7 pm PKT. Before this year, Pakistan's best finish was third place in 1997.
Below is every champion and runner-up since the first edition in Lahore in 1993, the title count by country, Pakistan's record in each edition and what the 2026 final means.
India have 9 of the 14 SAFF titles
The SAFF Championship has been played 14 times before 2026. India won 9, the Maldives 2, and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan 1 each. Afghanistan won in 2013 and then left SAFF for the Central Asian federation, so they no longer take part.
| Country | Titles | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| India | 9 | 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023 |
| Maldives | 2 | 2008, 2018 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 1995 |
| Bangladesh | 1 | 2003 |
| Afghanistan | 1 | 2013 |
| Pakistan | 0 | First final in 2026 |
India sent an under-23 side in 2009 and still won. They are the defending champions, having won the last two editions in 2021 and 2023.
Every SAFF Championship winner since 1993
The list runs from the latest edition back to the first. The first edition, in Lahore in 1993, and the 2021 edition in the Maldives were played as round-robin leagues, so they had no final.
| Year | Host | Champion | Final score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Bangladesh | Final on 17 November | Pakistan v India | - |
| 2023 | India | India | 1-1, won 5-4 on penalties | Kuwait |
| 2021 | Maldives | India | 3-0 | Nepal |
| 2018 | Bangladesh | Maldives | 2-1 | India |
| 2015 | India | India | 2-1 after extra time | Afghanistan |
| 2013 | Nepal | Afghanistan | 2-0 | India |
| 2011 | India | India | 4-0 | Afghanistan |
| 2009 | Bangladesh | India | 0-0, won 3-1 on penalties | Maldives |
| 2008 | Maldives | Maldives | 1-0 | India |
| 2005 | Pakistan | India | 2-0 | Bangladesh |
| 2003 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 1-1, won 5-3 on penalties | Maldives |
| 1999 | India | India | 2-0 | Bangladesh |
| 1997 | Nepal | India | 5-1 | Maldives |
| 1995 | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | 1-0 | India |
| 1993 | Pakistan | India | League format | Sri Lanka |
Kuwait and Lebanon were invited as guests in 2023, which is why Kuwait appear as runners-up. Three of the last eight finals went to extra time or penalties, so a close final on Tuesday would not be unusual.
Pakistan's best before 2026 was third place in 1997
Pakistan had never reached a SAFF final before 2026. Their best result was third place in Nepal in 1997, when they beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in the third-place match. They also reached the last four in 2003, 2005 and 2018.
| Year | Pakistan's finish |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Final, against India on 17 November |
| 2018 | Semi-final |
| 2005 | Semi-final (as hosts in Karachi) |
| 2003 | Fourth |
| 1997 | Third, beat Sri Lanka 1-0 |
| 1993 | Fourth (as hosts in Lahore) |
In the other editions Pakistan went out in the group stage or did not take part. This year they lost 3-2 to India in the opening game, beat the Maldives 3-0 and then beat hosts Bangladesh 1-0 in the semi-final, as our report on Pakistan's 1-0 semi-final win over Bangladesh shows.
Sunil Chhetri is the top scorer in SAFF history
India's Sunil Chhetri has scored 23 SAFF Championship goals, the all-time record. Bhaichung Bhutia of India is second on 12. The record for one tournament is 10 goals, by Ali Ashfaq of the Maldives in 2013.
One Pakistani has finished as the tournament's leading scorer. Sarfraz Rasool topped the list in 2003 with 4 goals. Hassan Bashir was among the leading scorers in 2018, when Pakistan last reached the semi-finals.
What Pakistan need on 17 November
Pakistan are one win from a first SAFF title. Here is how the final works and what it would take:
- Kick-off is 7 pm PKT on Tuesday 17 November at the Bangladesh National Stadium in Dhaka.
- If it is level after 90 minutes, recent finals have gone to extra time and then penalties, as in 2003, 2009, 2015 and 2023.
- Pakistan must beat India, who won 3-2 when the two sides met in the group on 5 November, as our report on India's 3-2 win over Pakistan covers.
- Viewers in Pakistan can watch on Myco, the official partner, as set out on our page about watching the SAFF Championship on Myco.
A win would make Pakistan the sixth country to win the SAFF Championship. Every Pakistan score of 2026 is on our Pakistan football results 2026 page.
Common questions
Who has won the most SAFF Championship titles?
India, with 9 titles from 14 editions. Their last two came in 2021 and 2023.
Has Pakistan ever won the SAFF Championship?
No. Pakistan reach their first final in 2026 and play India on 17 November. Their best before this was third place in 1997.
Who won the last SAFF Championship?
India won the 2023 edition, beating Kuwait 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final.
Who is the top scorer in SAFF Championship history?
Sunil Chhetri of India, with 23 goals. Ali Ashfaq of the Maldives holds the record for one tournament, 10 goals in 2013.
Has Pakistan hosted the SAFF Championship?
Yes, twice. Lahore hosted the first edition in 1993 and Karachi hosted in 2005. India won both.
When is the SAFF Championship 2026 final?
Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 7 pm PKT in Dhaka, Pakistan against India.
How we verified this
What we checked and where we read it.
We compiled the winners list, title count, Pakistan's finishes and the scoring records on 15 November 2026 from the championship's edition-by-edition records. The 2026 results and the final date come from the SAFF match results page, read on 15 November 2026, which lists Pakistan's 1-0 semi-final win over Bangladesh and India's 2-1 win over Bhutan. The title counts are our own from the list.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
