ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): In another good news for Pakistan, the country will host the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Boys U-17 Championship in August 2026.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed this important milestone in a message on X, saying that “Pakistan will host the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Boys U17 Championship in August 2026, a landmark moment as multinational football returns home.”
“An excellent achievement by the Pakistan Football Federation. Encouraging to see Pakistan steadily emerging as a credible and confident global player in sports,” he wrote.
Earlier, the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) confirmed hosts and tentative windows for all its key men’s and women’s tournaments.
According to the schedule, Pakistan will host the SAFF Boys U17 Championship in August 2026, while Bangladesh will stage the SAFF Men’s Championship in September-October 2026, and the Maldives will open the men’s calendar with the Boys U20 event in March.
Similarly, the SAFF Girls U19 Championship will be played in Nepal in January 2026, followed by the SAFF Women’s Championship in India in June.
Bhutan will host the Girls U17 Championship in April, underscoring SAFF’s focus on building a full pathway from youth to senior women’s football.
