Pakistan vs India SAFF Championship Final: Time, Date, Venue, Possible XIs and How to Watch

By Imran Javed | 15 November 2026 | Updated: 15 November 2026

Pakistan will play India in the SAFF Championship 2026 final on Tuesday, 17 November 2026, at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, with kick-off at 7:00pm PKT (7:30pm IST). It is Pakistan’s first-ever SAFF final, and a first title is now just one win away, while defending champions India are chasing a record-extending 10th crown. The two sides already met in the tournament opener on 5 November, when India won a five-goal thriller 3-2, so Tuesday’s rematch is the biggest Pakistan-India football game in years. There is no second leg: 90 minutes, then extra time and penalties if level.

Pakistan vs India SAFF Final: Match Details

The final closes a tournament that has run from 5 to 17 November 2026, with all matches in Dhaka. Six teams took part: hosts Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, split into two groups of three, with the top two from each group reaching the semi-finals on 14 November.

How Pakistan Reached the Final

Pakistan opened with a 3-2 defeat to India on 5 November, then beat the Maldives 3-0 on 8 November, and finally stunned the hosts in the semi-final. Read our report on the Pakistan 1-0 Bangladesh semi-final win for the full story of that famous night.

The semi-final against Bangladesh on Saturday, 14 November, was settled by a single moment of quality. With the match locked at 0-0, Abdul Samad Arshad struck in the 86th minute, finishing a precise assist from substitute Hayan Khattak, who had come on in the 74th minute for Ali Uzair. The left-footed strike beat Bangladesh goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon and silenced the National Stadium, and Pakistan held on for a 1-0 win.

Solano set his side up with five defenders, and despite Bangladesh having 59 per cent of the possession in the first half, goalkeeper Yousuf Butt and the back line marshalled by Abdullah Iqbal and Easah Suliman kept them out.

It was Pakistan’s first semi-final in eight years, and the win made them finalists for the first time since the tournament began in 1993. Against the Maldives on 8 November, Pakistan scored all three goals in the first half: McKeal Aroon Abdullah from the penalty spot in the fourth minute, and 19-year-old Najeebullah Bettani twice, in the ninth and 24th minutes. That 3-0 win was Pakistan’s first-ever victory over the Maldives in the tournament.

The opening match against India on 5 November showed both sides of this Pakistan team. India led 3-0 through two goals from Suhail Ahmad Bhat and one from Manglenthang Kipgen, and the game looked over. But Najeebullah headed home from Junaid Shah’s cross and Alamgir Ghazi finished from close range in stoppage time, and only the clock saved India. Shayak Dost had also missed a penalty earlier in the game. Read our full preview and report of that Pakistan vs India group-stage clash on 5 November.

How India Reached the Final

India have done what defending champions are supposed to do: win every game and reach the final. They topped Group B with six points from two matches, scoring four goals and conceding two, then survived a serious scare in the semi-final to keep their pursuit of a 10th title alive.

The semi-final against Bhutan on Saturday, 14 November, looked comfortable at half-time. Vishnu PV scored in the ninth minute and captain Chinglensana Singh Konsham doubled the lead in the 28th minute from a corner delivered by Manglenthang Kipgen. But Kinzang Tashi Tobden pulled one back for Bhutan in the 48th minute, and India had to defend their lead for the rest of the game. The Video Assistant Referee, used in the competition for the first time, overturned an offside decision to allow Bhutan’s goal and cancelled a penalty awarded to India.

After the 3-2 win over Pakistan, India beat the Maldives 1-0 on 11 November, with Suhail Ahmad Bhat converting a 38th-minute penalty and goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey making important late saves. That sealed top spot in Group B, with Pakistan second on three points and the Maldives eliminated without a point. Bhat’s penalty took his tournament tally to three goals, making him the leading scorer heading into the final.

This is not India’s full-strength senior side. Head coach Naushad Moosa, who normally coaches the India Under-23 team, has travelled with a 28-man squad to Dhaka, a young, largely second-string group, with several senior players away on friendly duty against New Zealand. That makes India’s unbeaten run more impressive, and the final is their biggest test yet.

Pakistan vs India: Road to the Final

Head-to-Head: India vs Pakistan in Football

History is firmly on India’s side. In 25 senior meetings, India have won 16, drawn seven and lost only two, according to the All India Football Federation. Inside the SAFF Championship, the record is even more one-sided: before this edition, the sides had met nine times in the tournament, with India winning seven, one draw and one Pakistan win.

That single Pakistan win is worth remembering, because it happened in this very city. Pakistan beat India 1-0 in Dhaka in 2003, during the tournament that Bangladesh went on to win. It remains Pakistan’s only victory over India in nine SAFF meetings; the only other time the sides shared the points was a 1-1 draw in their first SAFF meeting in 1993. Since then, India have beaten Pakistan in every SAFF encounter, including a 4-0 win at the 2023 championship in Bengaluru, where Sunil Chhetri scored a hat-trick.

The Venue: Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka

Every match of the tournament has been played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, and the final will be no different. The ground was packed for Bangladesh’s semi-final against Pakistan, and the atmosphere for a Pakistan-India final is expected to be even louder. The single-venue format has helped Pakistan too: no travel, and the players know the pitch by now. Dhaka in mid-November is warm and humid, and the 7:00pm PKT kick-off means the game will be played under lights.

Pakistan vs India Final: Possible Playing XIs

Neither coach has confirmed his team yet; the final line-ups will be announced about an hour before kick-off. Both sides are expected to stick close to the teams that won their semi-finals. These are possible XIs, not confirmed teams.

Pakistan’s possible XI is built around the side that beat Bangladesh, with Hayan Khattak pushing for a start after setting up the semi-final winner. India’s possible XI is the team that started the semi-final against Bhutan, with captain Chinglensana Singh Konsham at the back and Suhail Ahmad Bhat, also on three goals, the main danger in attack. Goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey is pushing for a recall after Arsh Anwer Shaikh started the semi-final.

Key Players to Watch

Suhail Ahmad Bhat (India): The tournament’s leading scorer with three goals, including a brace against Pakistan in the group stage and the winning penalty against the Maldives. Stopping Bhat is Pakistan’s first defensive job.

Najeebullah Bettani (Pakistan): The 19-year-old striker has three goals in the tournament, two against the Maldives and one against India in the group-stage fightback. Playing his first senior tournament, he has been fearless.

Abdul Samad Arshad (Pakistan): The semi-final hero. His 86th-minute winner against Bangladesh was a calm, composed finish under enormous pressure, and the biggest goal of his career.

Vishnu PV (India): Scored after nine minutes in the semi-final against Bhutan. His pace on the break is a threat if Pakistan push forward chasing the game.

Yousuf Butt (Pakistan): Two clean sheets in a row, against the Maldives and Bangladesh. In a final, a goalkeeper in form can be the difference.

Nolberto Solano: The Coach Behind Pakistan’s Run

Pakistan’s run has a clear architect in head coach Nolberto Solano, who has made his team hard to beat first and dangerous second: two clean sheets in a row and a semi-final win away from home against the hosts. Across the touchline, Naushad Moosa has kept a young India squad unbeaten through three matches. The battle between Solano’s organised defence and Moosa’s quick attack could decide the trophy.

What Is at Stake in the SAFF Final

For Pakistan, this is the biggest football match in the country’s history. A win would deliver a first SAFF Championship title, the first major trophy for the men’s national team, and revenge for the 3-2 defeat in the group stage.

For India, the stakes are about history of a different kind. Nine titles already make them the most successful team in the competition’s history, and a 10th would stretch a record no other South Asian nation is close to matching. They won the last edition in 2023 by beating Kuwait in the final in Bengaluru, and they arrived in Dhaka as defending champions expecting to go home with the trophy again.

Where to Watch Pakistan vs India SAFF Final in Pakistan

In India, every match of the tournament has been streamed live on VETO, with no TV telecast on any channel. For fans in Pakistan, no broadcast channel has been officially confirmed for the final, so supporters should check local listings closer to kick-off.

Kick-off is at 7:00pm PKT on Tuesday, 17 November 2026, and our live coverage and full-time report will follow the match here on TimelyUps. For more build-up this week, see our preview of the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test in Rawalpindi, also scheduled for 17 November, and our earlier Pakistan vs Bangladesh SAFF semi-final preview.

Pakistan vs India SAFF Final FAQs

Pakistan have waited since 1993 for a night like this. India stand in the way, unbeaten, defending champions, and chasing a 10th title. But finals are not won on history. Kick-off is 7:00pm PKT. Do not miss it.