Pakistan vs India Football: The Complete Rivalry Guide
Head-to-head record, every famous meeting, and the next clash — Pakistan and India drawn together in Group B of the SAFF Championship 2026 in Dhaka this November.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Quick answer: Pakistan and India have met 25 times in men’s football. India dominate the rivalry with 16 wins to Pakistan’s 2, with 7 draws. The last meeting was the SAFF Championship 2023 group stage, which India won 4-0 in Bengaluru. The next meeting is set for the SAFF Championship 2026 — both teams were drawn in Group B on 1 August 2026, with the tournament running 4–17 November in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The fixture
Why Pakistan vs India in Football Matters
In cricket, Pakistan–India is the biggest rivalry in world sport. In football, the neighbours are rarely equals — and that imbalance is exactly what makes the fixture fascinating.
A rivalry of unequals
India are South Asia’s football superpower: nine SAFF Championship titles, regular Asian Cup qualification, and a professional league system. Pakistan, by contrast, have battled FIFA suspensions, administrative turmoil and years without competitive football. When they meet, Pakistan play the underdog role — and underdogs occasionally bite. Two wins in 25 meetings keeps every fixture alive with the question: is this the day?
SAFF is where it happens
Almost every Pakistan–India meeting that matters has come in the SAFF Championship (formerly the SAARC Gold Cup), South Asia’s regional tournament. India have won it nine times — 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023. Pakistan are still chasing a first title. The 2026 edition in Dhaka is the 15th staging of the tournament.
The numbers
Head-to-Head Record: Pakistan vs India
Twenty-five meetings, and the ledger is brutally one-sided. Here is the all-time record as it stands in October 2026.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 25 | 16 | 7 | 2 |
| Pakistan | 25 | 2 | 7 | 16 |
Seven draws show Pakistan have often been hard to beat even when they couldn’t win — the Shaheens’ defensive organisation has frustrated India more than once. But sixteen Indian wins against two Pakistani ones tells the real story of the rivalry: India, the Blue Tigers, have owned this fixture for most of its history. For a match-by-match look at the games that shaped the rivalry, see our head-to-head deep dive.
Famous nights
Meetings That Mattered
Three games that define what this fixture means to both countries.
India 4–0 Pakistan
The most recent meeting and the most one-sided in recent memory. Sunil Chhetri — India’s record scorer — headlined a dominant Indian display in the SAFF Championship 2023 group stage, underlining the gulf between the sides at that moment.
Pakistan’s two wins
Only twice in 25 attempts have Pakistan beaten India — a record the Shaheens carry into every meeting like a challenge. Each win, decades apart, is remembered in Pakistan as proof that the gap can be closed on the right night.
Seven stalemates
Pakistan’s best weapon has often been resistance. Seven draws — many of them gritty, goalless or backs-to-the-wall — show a team that has repeatedly refused to be rolled over, even against a superior neighbour.
Next up
Next Match: SAFF Championship 2026
The rivalry resumes in Dhaka this November — and the draw could hardly have been kinder to neutrals.
| Detail | SAFF Championship 2026 |
|---|---|
| Draw | 1 August 2026, Thimphu, Bhutan |
| Group | Group B: India, Pakistan, Maldives |
| Venue | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Dates | 4–17 November 2026 |
| Pakistan vs India | Group stage, November 2026 |
| Semi-finals | 14 November 2026 |
| Final | 17 November 2026 |
Defending champions India, now coached by Khalid Jamil, are chasing a record-extending tenth SAFF title. Pakistan arrive as underdogs with everything to prove — and a group-stage meeting with India is exactly the kind of fixture where underdogs write history. The top two from each group reach the semi-finals. For fixtures, timings and where to follow the game, see our match-day guide.
The underdog
Pakistan’s Football Story: Suspensions, Comebacks, Hope
To understand the 16–2 record, you have to understand what Pakistani football has survived.
The lost years
FIFA suspended the Pakistan Football Federation twice — in 2017 and again in 2021 — over third-party interference in its affairs. Between suspensions and infighting, Pakistan’s men’s team went years without playing a competitive international. An entire generation of players lost its prime to boardroom chaos.
The return
Pakistan came back to competitive football at the SAFF Championship 2023 — straight into a group with India, and straight into that 4-0 defeat in Bengaluru. The scoreline was harsh, but simply being back on the pitch, in a major tournament, was the real story for the Shaheens.
Rebuilding
Since the return, Pakistan have been rebuilding through FIFA World Cup qualifiers and friendlies — including a preliminary squad cycle for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Results remain mixed, but the team is playing regularly again, which is the foundation everything else is built on.
That context reframes the rivalry. India have enjoyed two decades of relative stability — a functioning federation, the Indian Super League, and regular Asian Cup appearances. Pakistan have spent the same period fighting for the right to field a team at all. When the Shaheens walk out in Dhaka in November, they carry the weight of those lost years — and the freedom of a team with nothing to lose.
Tale of the tape
How the Two Teams Compare in 2026
On paper, this is a mismatch. On grass, derbies have their own logic.
| India | Pakistan | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Blue Tigers | Shaheens |
| SAFF titles | 9 (record) | 0 |
| Head-to-head | 16 wins | 2 wins |
| Head coach | Khalid Jamil | Rebuilding setup |
| Recent form | Asian Cup 2027 qualifying campaign | World Cup 2026 qualifying cycle |
| Star figure | Sunil Chhetri — record scorer, 95th goal vs Maldives (Mar 2025) | A young squad built around the post-suspension generation |
India’s experience shows in tournament football: they know how to manage a group stage, rotate a squad, and close out tight games. Pakistan’s edge — if it has one — is unpredictability and hunger. A young team with no scar tissue from past defeats can be dangerous, especially in a one-off derby where form counts for less than nerve. Dhaka in November will test which of those truths holds.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions fans ask most about this rivalry.
What is the head-to-head record between Pakistan and India in football?
25 meetings: India have won 16, Pakistan have won 2, and 7 have been draws.
When did Pakistan and India last play football against each other?
In the SAFF Championship 2023 group stage in Bengaluru, which India won 4-0 in June 2023.
When is the next Pakistan vs India football match?
At the SAFF Championship 2026 in Dhaka, Bangladesh (4–17 November 2026). Both teams are in Group B with Maldives and meet in the group stage.
Has Pakistan ever won the SAFF Championship?
No. India have won the tournament a record nine times; Pakistan are still chasing a first title.
Who has scored the most goals in Pakistan vs India matches?
India’s Sunil Chhetri, the Blue Tigers’ record scorer, headlined the most recent meeting — a 4-0 win in the 2023 SAFF Championship — and stands as the fixture’s defining modern goalscorer.
Where can I watch Pakistan vs India at SAFF 2026?
Broadcast details are announced closer to the tournament. Our match-day guide will carry confirmed TV and streaming information for Pakistan and India once released.
Go deeper
Detailed Guides
Every angle of the rivalry, covered in full.
Pakistan vs India Football Head-to-Head: 25 Matches, One-Sided Rivalry
The full record, the eras, and what the numbers really say.
India vs Pakistan Football Matches: Every Meeting That Mattered
The famous games — from SAFF classics to the 4-0 in Bengaluru.
Pak vs India Football Match Today: SAFF 2026 Fixture & Preview
Date, venue, group standings and what to watch for in Dhaka.
Follow Every Pakistan Match
From SAFF Championship build-up to qualifiers and friendlies — our Pakistan Sports section covers the Shaheens all year round.
Records and fixtures reflect reporting as of October 2026. SAFF Championship 2026 details (venues, kick-off times, broadcasters) will be confirmed closer to the tournament — this guide will be updated.