India vs Maldives head-to-head ahead of SAFF Championship 2026 clash in Dhaka

India and the Maldives will meet on 11th November at the National Stadium in Dhaka in a Group B fixture at the SAFF Championship 2026. India opened the group by beating Pakistan 3-2, while Pakistan defeated the Maldives 3-0 to sit on three points from two matches.

The Maldives must win to keep their semi-final hopes alive, whereas Naushad Moosa’s Blue Tigers can finish as Group B winners with a draw. The winners and runners-up from Group B will qualify for the semi-final, which will be played on 14th November.

India and the Maldives have met 22 times in all competitions. Their first encounter came at the South Asian Federation Games in 1987, when India won 5-0.

After that opening victory the Blue Army won four of the next five meetings. The Maldives registered their first win over India at the Golden Jubilee Tournament 2000 when Mohamed Nizam’s goal gave them a 1-0 victory.

India responded by winning the following three head-to-head matches before the Maldives recorded back-to-back wins against India at the SAFF Championships in 2008 and 2009. The Maldives beat India in the SAFF 2008 final to claim their first title.

The most recent meeting between the sides was a friendly in March 2025, a 3-0 win for India with goals from Rahul Bheke, Liston Colaco and Sunil Chhetri for Manolo Marquez’s side. The Maldives’ most recent victory over India came in the SAFF Championship final in 2018, a 2-1 win in Dhaka with goals from Ali Fasir and Ibrahim Hassan that delivered the Red Snappers their second SAFF Championship.

Going into Wednesday’s game, Khalid Jamil’s side will once again be the favourites against Maldives; an early goal for the Blue Tigers would increase pressure on the Maldives, who need a big-margin win to guarantee a place in the semi-final.

The result on 11th November will shape the Group B standings and determine which teams progress to the semi-finals on 14th November.