Domestic football to return to National Stadium after long layoff

Domestic football will return to the National Stadium for the first time in five years, with seven group-stage matches of the upcoming Federation Cup set to be held at the country's premier football venue.

The last domestic matches at the stadium were played in August 2021, before lengthy renovation work started.

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The four knockout-stage matches are also likely to be played at the National Stadium, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Professional League Committee chairman Imrul Hassan said on Saturday.

“If there is no national team engagement, we will also hold the knockout-stage matches at the National Stadium,” Imrul told reporters after the draw for the competition at the BFF House.

The draw was conducted in the presence of representatives from the participating clubs and BFF executive committee members.

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All 13 Bangladesh Football League clubs will participate in the Federation Cup, which will be played at four venues: the National Stadium, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Gopalganj.

The group stage will begin on September 22 and run until January 12, 2027.

The 13 clubs have been divided into two groups, with one group featuring six teams and the other seven.

Group A comprises Abahani Limited, Fortis FC, Rahmatganj MFS, Brothers Union, Fakirerpool Young Men's Club and Chattogram City FC.

Group B features Bashundhara Kings, Bangladesh Police FC, Mohammedan SC, PWD SC, Arambagh KS and City Club.

The tournament will move into the final round after the group stage, with the knockout phase comprising two qualifiers, an eliminator and the final.

The National Stadium will host seven group-stage matches, with the remaining group matches to be distributed among the other three venues.