Pakistan officially withdrew from the 2026 SAFF Women’s Championship scheduled in Goa, citing worsening relations with India.
The Pakistan Football Federation confirmed the decision on Thursday, leaving the South Asian Football Federation to proceed with a reduced six-team lineup.
The tournament will take place at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao from May 25 to June 6. India hosts the event for the second time, after Siliguri in 2016, while Goa stages its second SAFF competition following the men’s championship in 1999.
The official draw held in Dhaka divided the remaining teams into two groups: Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Maldives. Bangladesh enters as defending champions, while India remains the record five-time winner with titles in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019.
Pakistan’s withdrawal dealt a blow to its women’s football program, which had been seeking international exposure after years of administrative hurdles. The team hoped to showcase emerging talent but instead became another casualty of geopolitical friction.
This marks Pakistan’s latest retreat from Indian-hosted events, following its absence from the men’s junior hockey World Cup in Tamil Nadu last year and the Asia Cup in Rajgir.
The SAFF Women’s Championship now moves forward without Pakistan, highlighting how political disputes continue to disrupt regional sporting engagements in South Asia.
