For the past few weeks, the people of Bangladesh have been captivated by one thing -- the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spain emerged as deserving champions, and beyond the debates surrounding Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil and Argentina, what probably lingered in the minds of many football fans in this country was a different question: when, or if ever, would they get to cheer for Bangladesh at football's grandest stage?
Even lesser-known nations like Cape Verde made memorable World Cup debuts, inspiring hope that Bangladesh could one day do something similar -- or at least take meaningful steps towards that dream.
That, however, still appears a distant ambition, especially considering Bangladesh have not even begun proper preparations for the biggest tournament they regularly compete in -- the SAFF Championship, South Asia's equivalent of a World Cup.
The regional showpiece will be held in Dhaka from November 4 to 17, raising the obvious question of whether the football-crazy nation can finally reclaim the title they last lifted on home soil 23 years ago.
Since that maiden and only triumph in 2003, Bangladesh have reached just one final, made two semifinal appearances, and suffered six group-stage exits in the last nine editions.
If anything, there had been reasons for optimism in recent months. The arrival of overseas-based players such as Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome, Zayyan Ahmed, and Fahamedul Islam, coupled with an encouraging Asian Cup qualifying campaign, suggested the national team was beginning to move in the right direction.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) also entrusted the team to new coach Thomas Dooley, who has so far overseen only one match -- last month's historic friendly against European opponents San Marino, which Bangladesh won. It offered an encouraging glimpse of what the German-American coach could bring, but one match is hardly enough to lay the foundations for a team hoping to end a two-decade title drought.
Instead of building on that momentum, preparations have stalled.
Since the Bangladesh Football League (BFL) concluded in the third week of May, most national team players have been inactive for nearly eight weeks. Only footballers from Fortis FC and Bangladesh Police FC have remained in training because of their AFC Challenge League commitments.
The majority of Bangladesh's national team, however, comes from Bashundhara Kings and Abahani. Neither club has started pre-season training as both continue to deal with FIFA-imposed registration bans.
"What I have learned is that both clubs are trying to remove their registration bans by this month, so the players are expected to get a two-week pre-season camp," experienced defender Topu Barman said.
The BFF plans to begin the new league season in late August before pausing for the September FIFA international window, then resume briefly again ahead of another break for the SAFF Championship. Topu believes five or six league matches, alongside international fixtures, should be enough to restore match sharpness.
"If we can play five to six league matches, then we won't have any fitness problems," he said.
The defender also stressed the importance of giving Dooley sufficient time with the squad.
"If we, along with the overseas-based players, can start the camp together from the beginning, it will help us understand Dooley's philosophy, playing style, training methods, tactics, and techniques much better," Topu added.
Bangladesh still have enough time to assemble a competitive squad before November. But every passing week without meaningful preparation chips away at that opportunity. If the dream is to end a 23-year wait for the SAFF crown and eventually take bigger strides on the Asian stage, the groundwork cannot remain on hold any longer. The countdown has already begun. But Bangladesh's preparation, in many ways, has yet to start.
