GOA — Pakistan will not participate in the 2026 SAFF Women's Championship in India after failing to receive government clearance to travel to the tournament, a Pakistan Football Federation spokesperson said. The federation attributed the absence to ongoing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.

"We have not been issued an NOC [no objection certificate] by the relevant authorities," the spokesperson said. Sports teams and individual athletes from Pakistan are required to obtain government clearance before travelling abroad for competition.

The South Asian Football Federation unveiled the tournament schedule on Wednesday, and Pakistan's name was missing from the six-team draw. The championship will be held in Goa from May 25 to June 7 at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which has previously hosted the men's edition of the competition. The 2026 edition will be India's second time hosting the tournament, after staging it in West Bengal in 2016.

Group A features Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Group B features India, the Maldives and defending champions Bangladesh.

Pakistan is a member of the South Asian Football Federation. India and Pakistan share a decades-old history of wars and hostile relations. In May 2025, the two were engaged in a four-day cross-border conflict. The strained relationship has halted cross-border travel for sportspeople, and the rivalry has produced tournament boycotts, canceled matches and ground invasions. SAFF released the schedule on the anniversary of the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which India blames on Pakistan; Pakistan strongly denies responsibility.

The SAFF Women's Championship has been held roughly every two years since its inaugural edition in 2010. The tournament was last played in 2024 in Nepal, where Bangladesh defeated Nepal 2-1 in the final. In that 2024 edition, Pakistan lost its group stage match to India 5-2, drew with Bangladesh and failed to qualify for the knockout stage. Pakistan hosted the 2014 edition, which India won by defeating Nepal 6-0 in the final.

In other sports, India and Pakistan have competed at neutral venues when either country hosts a multilateral event. In December 2024, the International Cricket Council brokered a deal giving both teams the option of playing at neutral venues during ICC events hosted by either nation. When Pakistan hosted the ICC Champions Trophy in early 2025, all of India's fixtures, including the semifinal and final, were held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Pakistan played all its matches of the men's T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in February 2026, with Sri Lanka cohosting the event with India.