India to meet Pakistan in SAFF 2026 opener after last meeting ended 4-0 in Bengaluru

India and Pakistan will face each other in the opening match of the SAFF Championship 2026 at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, 5 November 2026, and their most recent meeting in the competition was a 4-0 win for India in Bengaluru during the 2023 SAFF Championship.

The SAFF Championship 2026 begins in Bangladesh on 5th November with six nations competing: India, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. India will be coached by Naushad Moosa, and their squad has been split so the Blue Tigers can also play two friendlies against New Zealand during the November international window. India enter the tournament as the defending champions.

Their 2023 encounter took place at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru in a Group A match; Sunil Chhetri scored a hat-trick, which included two penalties, and Udanta Singh added a fourth goal in the 81st minute from an assist by Anwar Ali.

The match in Bengaluru was physically charged: India coach Igor Stimac was sent off after getting involved in a tussle before half-time that included players and coaching staff from both teams. The 4-0 victory helped India finish runners-up in Group A in 2023 and keep an unbeaten record in that tournament, with their only dropped points coming from a draw with Kuwait in the group stage.

After progressing from the group, Stimac’s side beat Lebanon and Kuwait on penalties in the semi-final and the final to secure India’s ninth SAFF Championship. Pakistan’s 2023 campaign included a 1-0 loss to Nepal and a 4-0 defeat to Kuwait, leaving them bottom of Group A with zero points.

Across nine SAFF Championship meetings between the two nations prior to 2026, India have won seven. Pakistan’s last victory over India in the SAFF Championship occurred in 2003 when they beat India 2-1; the Falcons have never won the tournament and their best finish remains third place in 1997.

Many players in India’s 2026 squad have received their first international call-ups and are looking to make the most of the opportunity by winning the SAFF Championship 2026. India and Pakistan will meet in the tournament opener at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, 5 November 2026.