Sri Lanka has been granted the hosting rights for the highly anticipated 2025 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, scheduled to take place in June 2025. This landmark decision was made by SAFF member countries following a formal request from Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) President Jaswar Umar, who is currently in Kathmandu, Nepal.
This announcement comes as a historic moment for Sri Lankan football, as the nation last hosted the SAFF Championship in 2008, co-hosting the event alongside the Maldives. After a long wait of 17 years, Sri Lanka will once again have the opportunity to welcome the region’s top footballing nations for this prestigious tournament, which is widely regarded as the “World Cup of South Asia.”
Sri Lanka’s football history includes a memorable triumph in the 1995 SAFF Championship, which was also held in Colombo. That victory remains the country’s only SAFF title to date. Hosting the tournament in 2025 gives Sri Lanka a golden opportunity to reclaim the championship after 30 years and reignite national pride in football.
The tournament will feature seven South Asian nations:
• India (Defending champions and most successful team in SAFF history)
• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Maldives
• Nepal
• Sri Lanka (Host nation)
With the home crowd advantage, Sri Lanka’s national team will aim to make a deep run in the tournament and bring back the SAFF Championship trophy to Sri Lankan soil.
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