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The SAFF Championship 2025, which is scheduled to be held from June 15 to July 25, will be played on a home-and-away basis, as approved by the South Asian Football Federation’s executive committee at a meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday. 

‘We will try our best to hold the championship on a home-and-away format,’ SAFF general secretary Anwarul Huq Helal told the media after the meeting.

The meeting also kept the doors open to hold the regional competition at a centralised venue in an unfavourable situation, and the matches between India and Pakistan will be held at a neutral venue.

‘If any problems regarding the tournament arise, the tournament will be held at a centralised venue…And, under the new format, the matches between India and Pakistan will be held at a neutral venue,’ said Helal. 

The meeting also approved two new championships: the SAFF Under-23 Championship in 2025 and the SAFF Women’s Club Cup Championship in 2026. 

Besides, it was decided to hold SAFF’s first-ever club competition from 2026, comprising eight teams, who will be picked up on the basis of their places in the AFC Club Rankings. 

However, four age-level competitions—the SAFF U-19 and U-17 championships and the SAFF U-20 women’s and U-17 women’s championships—also got approval to be held in 2025. 

The SAFF U-19 Championship will be held from May 8 to 18, and the SAFF U-17 Championship from October 17 to 27. 

The SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship will be held from July 11 to 21, while the SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship will be held from September 14 to 24.