Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan Football Federation (FFSL) views hosting the SAFF Championship 2025 as a significant opportunity for the country.
Initially, earlier this year, SAFF Championship was planned to be a home-and-away format, but that idea was later scrapped by SAFF, with Sri Lanka being chosen as the host, marking the tournament's return to the country after 17 years.
The biggest football event in South Asia, SAFF Championship will take place from June 22 to July 5, 2025, in Colombo.
Sri Lanka last hosted the SAFF Championship in 2008, when it co-hosted the event with the Maldives. After a long 17-year wait, the country will once again have the chance to welcome South Asia’s top footballing nations for this prestigious tournament, which is often referred to as the “World Cup of South Asia.”
For FFSL, this is seen as a dream fulfilled by Sri Lankan football president Jaswar Umar, whose vision has been to restore Sri Lanka's football prominence at the regional level.
Since taking office, Umar has worked relentlessly to revamp the sport in the country, setting ambitious goals to elevate its status. His vision includes bringing major football events to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s football history includes a memorable victory in the 1995 SAFF Championship, held in Colombo, which remains the nation’s only SAFF title. Hosting the tournament in 2025 presents a golden opportunity for Sri Lanka to reclaim the championship after 30 years and restore national pride in football.
FFSL believes that hosting the SAFF Championship 2025 on home soil will bring significant economic and social benefits to Sri Lanka.
The tournament is expected to attract thousands of visitors, including football fans from across South Asia, players and coaching staff from participating nations, sports media, international journalists, and commercial partners and sponsors. This influx of visitors and businesses will boost key sectors such as hospitality, tourism, transportation, and retail, creating new job opportunities and generating substantial foreign exchange revenue.
Sri Lanka was under a FIFA suspension when the 2023 SAFF Championship was held in Bengaluru, India. The last time Sri Lanka participated in the competition was in 2021, when it was hosted by the Maldives.
