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.
SAFF member countries made this decision 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 that last hosted the SAFF Championship in 2008, co-hosting the event alongside the Maldives. Sri Lanka will once again have the opportunity to welcome the region’s top Footballing nations to the Pearl of the Indian Ocean after 17 years.
The successful bid to host the SAFF Championship 2025 is a testament to the dedication and leadership of FFSL President Jaswar Umar. Since taking charge, Umar has worked tirelessly to revamp Sri Lankan Football, setting ambitious goals to elevate the sport’s status in the country. His vision was to bring major Football events to Sri Lanka, boost infrastructure, and allow the national team to shine on home soil.
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 9 time winners), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
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.