The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) is an association of the football playing nations in South Asia. Incorporated in 1997, it is a regional subsidiary of the Asian Football Confederation. The members of the association are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
History The SAFF was founded in 1997, with Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In 2000, they expanded to 7 members, adding Bhutan. Afghanistan joined in 2005, but left in 2015, to join then newly formed Central Asian Football Association.
Presidents President Years Ref. P. P. Lakshmanan 1997–2001 Ganesh Thapa 2001–2009 Kazi Salahuddin 2009–2016 Ranjith Rodrigo (acting) 2016 Kazi Salahuddin 2016–present
Member associations AssociationNational team National league BAN 1997 (Men, Women) BHU 2000 (Men, Women) IND 1997 (Men, Women) MDV 1997 (Men, Women) NEP 1997 (Men, Women) PAK 1997 (Men, Women) SRI 1997 (Men)
Former member AssociationYearNote 2005–2015 Joined CAFA in 2015.
Competitions
The South Asian Football Federation runs several competitions on subcontinental level.
National teams
Men SAFF Championship SAFF U-23 Championship SAFF U-20 Championship SAFF U-17 Championship SAFF Futsal Championship South Asian Games
Women SAFF Women's Championship SAFF U-20 Women's Championship SAFF U-17 Women's Championship SAFF Women's Futsal Championship South Asian Games
Clubs
Men SAFF Club Championship Women SAFF Women's Club Championship
The South Asian Football Federation announced in April 2011 that they had decided to start a new tournament for association football club sides, the SAFF Club Championship, with the inaugural edition to be held in Bangladesh from 1–15 September of the same year. The competition was postponed and desires to revive the competition were again announced in July 2013 but the competition has still not started with accusations that India, the prime nation in the competition, were not altogether interested in participating.
Sri Lanka was supposed to host the first edition in August 2014.
A new possible start was set for December 2016 but later announced that 2017 would see the first edition. This again was changed and announced that 2018 would be the start of the tournament.
In January 2025, SAFF announced three new competitions: SAFF Club Championship, SAFF Women's Club Championship and the SAFF U-23 Championship. SAFF struck a deal with marketing partner Sportfive to fund the Men's, Women's, Under-23 and Club Championship.
Current title holders
Competition Year Champions Details Runners-up NextMen's national teams Championship 2023 1–1 (5–4 p) 2026U-23 Championship————2026 U-20 Championship 2026 2027 U-17 Championship 2025 2–2 (4–1 p) 2026Futsal Championship 2026 RR 2027 South Asian Games 2019 2–1 2027Women's national teams 2026 3–1 2028 U-20 Women's Championship 2026 RR 2027 U-17 Women's Championship 2025 RR 2026Women's Futsal Championship2026RR 2027 South Asian Games 2019 2–0 2027Men's club teamsClub Championship———— 2026Women's club teamsWomen's Club Championship20253–0 APF 2027
Titles by nation As of 1 June 2025 NationMen's national teamWomen's national teamClubTotal SAFF SAG U18/U19/U20 U15/U16/U17Fut SAFF SAG U18/U19/U20 U15/U16/U17FutWCC 9 3 4 6 05 3 2 2 01 35 1 2 2 2 02 0 42 10 15 0 4 2 0 00 0 0 2 00 8 0 4 0 1 00 0 0 0 00 5 2 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0× 3 1 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0×1 0 0 0 0 00 ×0 0 00 0Former member 1 0 0 0 ×0 ×1Invited guest ×1 ×10× 00× 0 Total 14 13 8 91 7 3 6 711 68 Note: (†) Member from 2005 till 2015 , (††) The Russian Under-17 team was invited to the Under-17 tournament
Medals (1993–2025) Last Update: 2025 SAFF U-19 Championship
Exclude Football at the South Asian Games and SAFF Club Championship.
Note: and shared gold in 2024 SAFF U-19 Women's Championship.
SAFF teams at continental and global tournaments Legend
– Champion – Runner-up – Third place – Fourth place QF – Quarterfinals R16 – Round of 16 GS – Group stage 1S – First knockout stage — Did not qualify — Qualified but withdrew — Did not enter / withdrawn / banned / disqualified
— Hosts
For each tournament, the flag of the host country and the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.
Senior Men's FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Team1930(13)1934(16)1938(15)1950(13)1954(16)1958(16)1962(16)1966(16)1970(16)1974(16)1978(16)1982(24)1986(24)1990(24)1994(24)1998(32)2002(32)2006(32)2010(32)2014(32)2018(32)2022(32)2026(48)2030(48)2034(48)TotalAttempts Did not exist × • • • • • • • ••••TBDTBD011 Did not exist × × × ×•••TBDTBD03 •• ‡ × × × × × × × • × • • • • • ••••TBDTBD011 Did not exist × × • • • • ••••TBDTBD08 × × × • • × • • × • ••••TBDTBD09 Did not exist × × × × × × × × × × × • • • • • ••••TBDTBD09Did not exist‡×××××××××ו••••••••TBDTBD09Former memberNot a SAFF member•••03
FIFA ASEAN Cup Teams 2026 GS 1 •• 0
AFC Asian Cup Team 1956(4) 1960(4) 1964(4) 1968(5) 1972(6) 1976(6) 1980(10) 1984(10) 1988(10) 1992(8) 1996(12) 2000(12) 2004(16) 2007(16) 2011(16) 2015(16) 2019(24) 2023(24) 2027(24) Total × × GS • • • × • • • • • • • • 1 × • 2nd • × × × GS • • • • • • GS • GS GS • 5
AFC Challenge Cup Teams 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 QF • GS • • 2 GS • • • • 1 QF 1st GS GS • 4 ‡ ‡ • GS 3rd 2 SF GS • GS • 3 GS • • • • 1 2nd GS GS • • 3Former member GSGSו 4th3
AFC Solidarity Cup Teams 2016 × 0 ‡ 0 1st 1 × 0 GS 1
Asian Games men's football tournament Football at the Asian Games was a senior tournament until 1998. Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002. Team 1951(6) 1954(12) 1958(14) 1962(8) 1966(11) 1970(10) 1974(15) 1978(14) 1982(16) 1986(18) 1990(14) 1994(19) 1998(23) 2002(24) 2006(28) 2010(24) 2014(29) 2018(25) 2022(23) 2026(TBA) Total Did not exist 13th 12th 14th 13th DQ 20th 24th 24th 20th 15th 20th 10 1st 8th 4th 1st 8th 3rd 13th 8th 6th 16th DQ DQ 16th 10th 14th 14th 26th 9th 16 Did not exist 20th 22nd 20th 17th 21st 5 16th 18th 18th 17th 29th 22nd 6 6th 9th 11th 17th 14th 23rd 21st 22nd 24th 17th 10Former member Not a SAFF member 25th 1
Women's AFC Women's Asian Cup Team 1975(6) 1977(6) 1980(6) 1981(8) 1983(6) 1986(7) 1989(8) 1991(9) 1993(8) 1995(11) 1997(11) 1999(15) 2001(14) 2003(14) 2006(9) 2008(8) 2010(8) 2014(8) 2018(8) 2022(12) 2026(12) 2029(12) Total × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • × • GS TBD 1 × × 2nd 3rd 2nd × × × × GS GS GS GS GS • • • • • •• GS TBD 10 × × × × × GS GS × × × × GS × × × × × × × • • TBD 3
Asian Games Women's football tournament Team 1990(6) 1994(4) 1998(8) 2002(6) 2006(8) 2010(7) 2014(11) 2018(11) 2022(16) 2026(TBA) Total 12th 1 8th 9th 13th 3 DQ 11th 10th 2 11th 1
Junior Men's U-20 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Team 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 197819801982×××××××××××××××× GS × GS GS 5th××××× GS GS GS QF QF GS ×× QF GS GS 1st GS GS QF GS ••×××××××××××× GS GS × GS ×××ו•××× GS ×××××××××× GS ×××××ו 8th × GS × GS ×× GS QF × GS GS ××××× GS × GS ××
Team 1985 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2023 2025Total•×•••× GS •• GS ••×•••••••6• GS × GS GS × GS GS • QF GS GS ••••••••22וו•×•••• GS •••×•••••4•••••×•• GS ••••••×××××3× GS וו•×••••×•×ו•••10
Men's U-17 FIFA U-17 World Cup Team1985(16)1987(16)1989(16)1991(16)1993(16)1995(16)1997(16)1999(16)2001(16)2003(16)2005(16)2007(24)2009(24)2011(24)2013(24)2015(24)2017(24)2019(24)2023(24)2025(48)2026(48)Total ••••••••••••••••R1•••TBD 1
AFC U-17 Asian Cup Team1985 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2023 2025 2026 Total × GS • • GS • • GS GS × GS GS DQ • • × • • • • • 6 • • • GS • • GS • • QF GS • GS • GS • GS QF GS • GS 10 • × • • • × × • GS × • GS • • • GS × • • • • 3 × × × × • × × • • GS × • • • • • × × • × • 1
Women's U-20 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup Team2002(12)2004(15)2006(8)2007(8)2009(8)2011(6)2013(6)2015(8)2017(8)2019(8)2024(8)2026(12)Total • • • • • • • • • • • Q 1 GS QF GS • • • • • • • • Q 4 • GS • • • • • • • • • • 1
Women's U-17 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Team2008(16)2010(16)2012(16)2014(16)2016(16)2018(16)2022(16)2024(16)2025(24)2026(24)Total ••••••GS••TBD1
AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup Team2005(11)2007(6)2009(8)2011(6)2013(12)2015(8)2017(8)2019(8)2024(8)2026(12)2027(12)2028(12)Total GS × × × × • GS GS • • TBD TBD 3 GS × • • • • • • • QF TBD TBD 2
Rankings Rankings are calculated by FIFA.
Men's national teams SAFF AFC FIFA Country Points Highest Lowest 1 26 138 1086.43 94 173 2 33 173 935.93 124 183 3 36 178 914.54 1 124 196 4 37 182 893.46 1 110 197 5 38 184 890.64 3 122 207 6 41 192 870.81 6 159 209 7 44 197 839.03 1 141 205
Last updated: 7 October 2026
Women's national teams SAFF AFC FIFA Country Points Highest Lowest 1 13 69 1368.70 49 70 2 16 89 1238.74 1 87 119 3 19 106 1175.35 1 100 147 4 31 154 1008.65 106 161 5 35 161 933.09 3 113 178 6 37 165 915.58 3 101 162 7 39 167 906.97 91 167
Last updated: 16 June 2026
Men's futsal national teams SAFF AFC FIFA Country Points Highest Lowest 1 24 99 914.49 99 109 2 28 111 866.35 1 110 121 3 35 130 777.49 130 135 4 36 138 717.92 138 138 5 37 139 702.59 139 139 6 38 140 674.86 140 140 7 39 141 674.42 141 141
Last updated: 25 September 2026
Women's futsal national teams SAFF AFC FIFA Country Points Highest Lowest 1 13 41 931.34 42 44 2 29 82 745.19 79 87 3 30 88 705.55 89 89 4 31 90 699.9 91 91 5 32 93 683.75 94 94 6 33 94 670.13 95 95 7 34 95 649.07 96 96
Last updated: 25 September 2026
Individual statistics Top goalscorer in men's football
By number of goals
# Name Career Goals Caps Avg/game 1 Sunil Chhetri 2005–2025 95 157 2 Ali Ashfaq 2003–2023 58 98 3 I. M. Vijayan 1992–2004 29 70 4 Kasun Jayasuriya 2000–200927 55 Baichung Bhutia 1995–2011 82 6 Jeje Lalpekhlua 2009–201923 54 Shabbir Ali 1974–1984 66
By country
# Name Career Goals Caps Avg/game 1 Sunil Chhetri 2005–2025 95 157 2 Ali Ashfaq 2003–2023 58 98 3 Kasun Jayasuriya 2000–2009 27 55 4 Muhammad Umer 1956–1965 18–– 5 Ashraf Chunnu 1975–1985 17 41 6 Chencho Gyeltshen 2011–present1549 7 Ganesh Thapa 1981–1989 14 40
Players in bold are active international players.
Top goalscorer in women's football
By number of goals
# Name Career Goals Caps Avg/game 1 Sabitra Bhandari 2014–present 53 46 2 Bala Devi 2007–2024 48 58 3 Sasmita Malik 2007–2017 36 42 4 Sabina Khatun 2009–present 34 53 5 Yumnam Kamala Devi 2011–2022 36 51
By country
# Name Career Goals Caps Avg/game 1 Sabitra Bhandari 2014–present 53 46 2 Bala Devi 2007–2024 48 58 3 Sabina Khatun 2009–present 34 53
Players in bold are active international players.
See also
FIFA Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) West Asian Football Federation (WAFF)
References
External links South Asian Football Federation Cup at RSSSF South Asia Football – SAFF website (archived)