Bangladesh begin their campaign in the inaugural SAFF Futsal Championship 2026 today against India in one of three opening-day matches at the Nonthaburi Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The match will kick off at 4:00pm (Bangladesh time), a few hours after the Sri Lanka-Bhutan fixture opens the seven-team tournament, which will be streamed live on the Sportzworkz YouTube channel.
The encounter comes at a time of growing diplomatic unease between the two neighbours, adding an extra layer of intrigue to what is already a historic meeting in a new format of the game for both sides.
With traditional 11-a-side football still dominating fan culture across South Asia, the South Asian Football Federation have taken their first step towards promoting futsal in the region by launching separate competitions for men and women.
In the men’s tournament, all teams will play each other once, with the table-toppers at the end being crowned champions.
None of the participating teams are established forces in futsal, but Nepal, Maldives and India are viewed as comparatively stronger sides than Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, largely due to their earlier exposure to the format.
For Bangladesh, this will be their second international futsal tournament, following their appearance in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers last September. India, Maldives and Pakistan were also part of that competition, but none of them managed to progress. India recorded a solitary win over Mongolia, while Bangladesh, Maldives and Pakistan lost all their group-stage matches.
Under Iranian coach Saeed Khodarahmi, Bangladesh remain in a learning phase, but the team believe they have taken steps forward after an extended preparation period. Their build-up included a one-and-a-half-month training camp, capped by a 10-day stint on a proper futsal court in Thailand.
“We are getting better every day,” said Bangladesh captain Rahbar Wahed Khan at a pre-tournament briefing. “Futsal has just started in South Asia, and I want people in Bangladesh to keep supporting us.”
Coach Khodarahmi, however, was keen to stress that the challenge is not unique to Bangladesh.
“Not only for Bangladesh, it is a challenge for every nation,” he said. “If you don’t have futsal coaches, referees and stadiums, it becomes really difficult for everyone.”
The Bangladesh-India clash also offers an interesting subplot, with both teams being coached by Iranians. India are led by Reza Kordi, who has set measured objectives for his side.
“Our main objective is to show clear progress in our playing style and establish ourselves as a strong emerging team in South Asian futsal,” Kordi said, adding that his “players now have a better understanding of the demands of futsal”.
Meanwhile, the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship got under way at the same venue yesterday. Bangladesh women’s team, led by former national captain Sabina Khatun, will begin their campaign on Thursday against India, who opened with an emphatic 11-1 win over Maldives, while Pakistan and Bhutan played out a 1-1 draw.
