| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 14 February – 17 May 2026 |
| AFC Champions League 2 | Goa (via Super Cup) |
| Matches played | 73 |
| Goals scored | 179 (2.45 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Youssef Ezzejjari (10 goals) |
| Biggest home win | East Bengal 7–0 Mohammedan (23 March 2026) |
| Biggest away win | NorthEast United 1–4 Odisha (20 March 2026) NorthEast United 0–3 SC Delhi (10 April 2026) |
| Highest scoring | East Bengal 7–0 Mohammedan (23 March 2026) |
| Longest winning run | 4 matches Jamshedpur Mohun Bagan |
| Longest unbeaten run | 8 matches Mumbai City |
| Longest winless run | 10 matches Mohammedan |
| Longest losing run | 7 matches Mohammedan |
| Highest attendance | 30,047 Mohun Bagan 5–1 Mohammedan (28 February 2026) |
| Average attendance | 8,258 |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 6 May 2026. | |
The 2025–26 Indian Super League is the 12th season of the Indian Super League (ISL) and the 30th season of top-tier Indian football. It commenced on 14 February and ends on 17 May 2026 with 91 matches to be played in this period.[1]
Mohun Bagan are the defending champions, having won their second Indian Super League title and seventh Indian title last season.
Background[edit | edit source]
Developments[edit | edit source]
- In June 2025, the FSDL formally informed the ISL clubs and the AIFF that the 2025–26 season was on hold due to unresolved contractual issues, ahead of the expiry of the Master Rights Agreement in December.[2][3] After the intervention of the Supreme Court of India, which requested both parties to resolve the issues between them and start the 2025–26 season as quickly as they could, both parties promised that the new season would start in December.[4][5]
- The season was delayed even further after no bids came in for a tender for commercial partners floated by the AIFF on 16 October 2025.[6]
- On 6 January 2026, after discussions with the stake holders, sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed that ISL would begin on 14 February, and would be played in a single leg home-and-away format for a total of 91 matches.[7]
- On 12 January 2026, all 14 clubs confirmed their participation in this season. The AIFF outlined a total proposed budget of ₹24.26 crore for the season, a significant reduction from the previous seasons. The federation will contribute ₹9.77 crore upfront, while each participating club will provide ₹1 crore. The remaining expenses will be managed through allocated federation resources as the league progresses.[8]
- The Asian Football Confederation granted India a one-season exemption from the mandatory 24-match league requirement. With this relaxation, the ISL champions and Super Cup winners will be eligible to participate in the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two qualifiers next season.[9]
- Following a media rights tender by the AIFF in January 2026, OTT sports streaming platform FanCode were announced as winners of the broadcasting rights and will be the official streaming partner of the 2025–26 season, while KPS Studios won the bid for production rights.[10] The Indian Super League (ISL) 2025–26 season will be broadcast on the Sony Sports Network after FanCode sublicensed the linear TV rights to the media conglomerate.[11]
Changes from last season[edit | edit source]
- This is the first season without the post-season ISL Cup playoffs.[12] The 14 participating clubs will compete in a single-leg round-robin format, with each team playing 13 matches. The table toppers at the end of the league will be crowned the Champions.[1]
- The AIFF will implement relegation this season onwards, despite objections from all 14 clubs, who cited the shortened season as their primary concern.[13]
- ISL clubs qualify for AFC continental club competitions, with the league champions earning qualification for the subsequent season's AFC Champions League Two group stage.[14]
Teams[edit | edit source]
Fourteen (14) teams from 12 cities are competing in the 12th season of Indian Super League – thirteen from the previous season and one promoted from the I-League. Churchill Brothers were initially declared the provisional champions of the I-League by AIFF, but the decision was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport who declared Inter Kashi as champions.[15]
On 7 October 2025, Hyderabad FC announced its relocation to Delhi and rebranded to SC Delhi.[16]
- Promoted from I-League
- Rebranded clubs
- Hyderabad FC shifted its base to Delhi and rebranded as Sporting Club Delhi.[17][18]
Stadiums and locations[edit | edit source]
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | Bengaluru | Sree Kanteerava Stadium | 25,810 |
| Chennaiyin | Chennai | Marina Arena | 40,000 |
| SC Delhi | New Delhi | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 60,254 |
| East Bengal | Kolkata | Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan | 68,000 |
| Goa | Margao | Fatorda Stadium | 19,000 |
| Inter Kashi[lower-alpha 1] | Varanasi | Kishore Bharati Krirangan | 12,000 |
| Jamshedpur | Jamshedpur | JRD Tata Sports Complex | 24,424 |
| Kerala Blasters | Kochi | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 40,000 |
| Mohammedan | Kolkata | Kishore Bharati Krirangan | 12,000 |
| Mohun Bagan | Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan | 68,000 | |
| Mumbai City | Mumbai | Mumbai Football Arena | 7,000 |
| NorthEast United | Guwahati | IG Athletic Stadium | 21,600 |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar | Kalinga Stadium | 15,000 |
| Punjab[lower-alpha 2] | Mohali | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 60,254 |
- ↑ The club is based in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, but will play its home games in Kishore Bharati Krirangan at Kolkata due to ongoing construction on their own stadium getting built in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.[19]
- ↑ The club is based in Mohali, Punjab, but will continue to play its home games in New Delhi until the 2025–26 season.[20]
Personnel and kits[edit | edit source]
| Team | Head coach | Captain(s) | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | Puma | JSW | ||
| Chennaiyin | Six5Six | ISGL.in | ||
| SC Delhi | Six5Six | Universal Sompo General Insurance | ||
| East Bengal | Trak Only | Emami | ||
| Goa | Six5Six | ISGL.in | ||
| Inter Kashi | Hummel | RDB Group | ||
| Jamshedpur | Nivia | Tata Steel | ||
| Kerala Blasters | Six5Six | White Gold | ||
| Mohun Bagan SG | Skechers | CESC | ||
| Mohammedan | Rocky Sports | Merlin Group | ||
| Mumbai City | Puma | Etihad Airways | ||
| NorthEast United | Reebok | Meghalaya Tourism | ||
| Odisha | Trak Only | Odisha Tourism | ||
| Punjab | Shiv Naresh | DafaNews |
Managerial changes[edit | edit source]
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala Blasters | End of interim spell | 25 March 2025[21] | Pre-season | 25 March 2025[22] | ||
| SC Delhi | 31 May 2025[23] | 19 October 2025[24] | ||||
| Chennaiyin | Mutual consent | 17 July 2025[25] | 12 September 2025[26] | |||
| Jamshedpur | Signed by India | 13 August 2025[27] | 24 January 2026[28] | |||
| Mohun Bagan | Sacked | 26 November 2025[29] | 26 November 2025[30] | |||
| Bengaluru | Mutual consent | 14 November 2025[31] | 14 November 2025[32] | |||
| Odisha | 26 November 2025[30] | 5 February 2026[33] | ||||
| Bengaluru | 25 March 2026 | 5th | 25 March 2026[34] | |||
| Kerala Blasters | 27 March 2026[35] | 13th | 27 March 2026[36] |
Foreign players[edit | edit source]
The AIFF allows teams to register a maximum of six foreign players. A maximum of four can be fielded in a match at a time.[37]
Due to the uncertainty surrounding Indian football, a number of foreign players exited their clubs before the start of the shortened season.[38][39]
League table[edit | edit source]
Template:2025–26 Indian Super League points table
Results[edit | edit source]
Match by match[edit | edit source]
Script error: No such module "sports results".
Form[edit | edit source]
Script error: No such module "sports rbr table".
Position by round[edit | edit source]
Script error: No such module "sports rbr table".
Season statistics[edit | edit source]
- As of 6 May 2026[40]
Top scorers[edit | edit source]
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Bengal | 10 | |
| 2 | Mohun Bagan | 8 | |
| 3 | Punjab | 7 | |
| 4 | Goa | 6 | |
| 5 | Mumbai City | 4 | |
| Bengaluru | |||
| Inter Kashi | |||
| SC Delhi | |||
| 9 | East Bengal | 3 | |
| Mohun Bagan | |||
| Punjab | |||
| NorthEast United | |||
| East Bengal | |||
| Kerala Blasters | |||
| Bengaluru | |||
| Mumbai City | |||
| Odisha | |||
| SC Delhi |
Top assists[edit | edit source]
| Rank | Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kerala Blasters | 5 | |
| 2 | East Bengal | 3 | |
| Jamshedpur | |||
| Odisha | |||
| East Bengal | |||
| Mohun Bagan | |||
| 7 | 20 players | 2 | |
Clean sheets[edit | edit source]
| Rank | Player | Team | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goa | 5 | |
| Mumbai City | |||
| 3 | Mohun Bagan | 4 | |
| Bengaluru | |||
| East Bengal | |||
| Jamshedpur | |||
| Punjab | |||
| 8 | Chennaiyin | 3 | |
| SC Delhi | |||
| 10 | Kerala Blasters | 1 | |
| Inter Kashi | |||
| Odisha | |||
| Inter Kashi | |||
| Mohammedan |
Discipline[edit | edit source]
Player[edit | edit source]
- Most yellow cards: 4
Dejan Dražić (Goa)
Ayush Chhetri (Goa)
Bijoy Varghese (Punjab)
Naocha Singh (Kerala Blasters)
Gaurav Bora (Mohammedan)
Joni Kauko (Mumbai City)
- Most red cards: 1
- 12 players
Club[edit | edit source]
- Most yellow cards: 35
- NorthEast United
- Most red cards: 2
- Kerala Blasters
- Jamshedpur
- Inter Kashi
Attendance[edit | edit source]
- As of 6 May 2026
Regular season[edit | edit source]
Template:Fb a header Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a2 team Template:Fb a footer
By home matches[edit | edit source]
| Team \ Home Game | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohun Bagan | 29,110 | 22,765 | 30,047 | 19,727[41] | 26,997 | 12,222 | 140,868 | ||
| Goa | 1,577 | 5,160 | 2,532 | 2,237 | 4,820 | 16,326 | |||
| Bengaluru | 12,347 | 13,623 | 9,614 | 20,214 | 21,714 | 14,723 | 92,235 | ||
| Chennaiyin | 6,389 | 2,966 | 2,947 | 2,623 | 2,894 | 17,819 | |||
| East Bengal | 18,636 | 20,386 | 22,899 | 12,853 | 13,379 | 11,213 | 13,244 | 233[lower-alpha 1] | 112,843 |
| Inter Kashi | N/A[lower-alpha 2] | N/A[lower-alpha 2] | 215 | 215 | |||||
| Jamshedpur | 4,341 | 7,230 | 7,856 | 12,789 | 10,236 | 6,339 | 5,699 | 54,490 | |
| Kerala Blasters | 16,243 | 7,586 | 6,435 | 2,863 | 3,621 | 3,213 | 7,548 | 47,509 | |
| Mohammedan | 4,240 | 340 | 4,580 | ||||||
| Mumbai City | 3,426 | 3,911 | 2,190 | 3,674 | 3,649 | 16,850 | |||
| NorthEast United | 7,473 | 6,379 | 3,564 | 3,847 | 3,221 | 3,342 | 27,826 | ||
| Odisha | 2,421 | 3,218 | 2,678 | 217[lower-alpha 1] | 8,534 | ||||
| Punjab | 3,897 | 3,216 | 2,906 | 2,737 | 2,534 | 15,290 | |||
| Delhi | 6,732 | 8,153 | 7,761 | 8,261 | 30,907 |
Legend: Highest Lowest
See also[edit | edit source]
- Men
- 2025–26 Indian Football League (Tier II)
- 2025–26 I-League 2 (Tier III)
- 2025–26 I-League 3 (Tier IV)
- 2025–26 Indian State Leagues (Tier V)
- 2025–26 AIFF Super Cup
- 2025 Durand Cup
- 2026 Reliance Foundation Development League
- Women
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ISL 2025-26 fixtures announced". the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
- ↑ "BREAKING: ISL 2025-26 season formally on hold; FSDL informs clubs & AIFF". Khel Now. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
- ↑ "With ISL on hold, AIFF enters new depths of incompetence". ESPN. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
- ↑ "ISL likely to begin in October; MRA negotiations hinge on AIFF elections". newsn9ne. 26 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ↑ "Supreme Court paves way for ISL 2025/26 to start in December, no mention of fresh AIFF election". The Indian Express. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ↑ "ISL fails to attract single bid; AIFF to 'deliberate on future course of action'". Sportstar. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "Impasse over, ISL to begin on 14 February with the participation of all 14 clubs". Deccan Herald. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ↑ "All clubs confirm participation for ISL 2025-26". Khel Now. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "AFC grants one-season exemption to India; ISL champions set to participate in ACL 2 qualifiers". Khel Now. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ "FanCode awarded ISL broadcast rights; KPS Studios bag production rights". 2 February 2026 – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
- ↑ "ISL 2025-26: Sony Sports to show Indian Super League on TV after FanCode sublicenses broadcasting rights". 14 February 2026 – via Sportstar - The Hindu.
- ↑ Anirudh, Menon. "ISL 2026 begins with Indian Football continuing to revel in the absurd". ESPN. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ "ISL: For the first time, the bottom-ranked team is set for relegation". 14 February 2026 – via The Times of India.
- ↑ "India spots restricted to Asian Champions League 2, despite increase in berths in ACL Elite". Sportstar. 24 April 2026. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- ↑
- "Churchill get I-League title & ISL promotion after AIFF panel verdict, Inter Kashi to approach CAS". The Indian Express. 19 April 2025. Archived from the original on 20 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
- Godinho, Norma (19 April 2025). "Churchill Brothers declared I-League champs, earn ISL promotion". Rediff. Archived from the original on 20 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
- "'This Isn't Just Our Heartbreak': Inside the I-League Title Controversy That Shook Indian Football". The Wire. 21 April 2025.
- "Inter Kashi crowned I-League 2024-25 champion after CAS ruling". Sportstar. 18 July 2025.
- "AIFF confirms Inter Kashi's promotion to top tier ISL". The Times of India. 8 October 2025.
- ↑ "ISL 2025-26: Hyderabad FC Rebrands As Sporting Club Delhi Ahead Of Next Season". Outlook India. 7 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ↑ "Hyderabad FC now Sporting Club Delhi: Everything to know about ISL's capital return". India Today. 7 October 2025. Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ↑ "Sporting Club Delhi launched, to make debut in Super Cup after being rebranded from Hyderabad FC". The Indian Express. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ↑ "AIFF roll out tentative ISL 2025–26 fixtures". khelnow.com. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ↑ "Punjab FC to remain in Delhi for ISL home games". news9live. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ↑ "David Català joins Kerala Blasters". The Economic Times. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters FC name David Catala as new head coach". Indian Super League. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ↑ "We have made plenty of progress as a team: Shameel Chembakath". Hyderabad FC. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ↑ "Sporting Club Delhi FC appoint Tomasz Tchorz as their new head coach". Khel Now.
- ↑ "Chennaiyin FC and head coach Owen Coyle mutually part ways". Sportstar. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ↑ "Clifford agrees terms with Chennaiyin FC, set to become chief coach". The Times of India. 12 September 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ↑ "Khalid Jamil signs full-time contract as Indian senior men's team head coach". All India Football Federation. 13 August 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "Shield-winning Coach Owen Coyle Returns to Jamshedpur FC on Two-Season Deal". Jamshedpur Football Club. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ↑ "Jose Molina set to part ways with Mohun Bagan after Super Cup exit". Sportstar. 1 November 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Mohun Bagan appoint ISL winner Sergio Lobera as new head coach". India Today. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ↑ "Former Bengaluru FC coach Gerard Zaragoza joins Super League Greece club Panserraikos FC as head coach". Khel Now. 16 November 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
- ↑ Sportstar, Team (21 January 2026). "ISL 2025-26: Renedy Singh named Bengaluru FC head coach". Sportstar. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ↑ "Odisha FC sign T.G. Purushothaman as head coach for ISL 2025–26". Khel Now. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ↑ "ISL 2025-26: Bengaluru FC appoints Pep Munoz as head coach". newsgram. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters sack Catala, Spaniard departs as first head coach without a win in ISL". onmanorama. 27 March 2026. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters appoint Westwood, a coach who knows Indian football from pre-ISL days". onmanorama. 27 March 2026. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ↑ "ISL 2025-26 Summer Transfers: List of Club-Wise Departures, Extensions and News Signings". Indian Super League. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ↑ "List of foreigners who left ISL due to uncertainty in Indian Football". Khel Now. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ↑ "ISL 2025-26: All completed transfers ahead of the new season". Khel Now. 1 February 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ↑ "Indian Super League table, schedule & stats". Sofascore.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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External links[edit | edit source]
Template:Indian football league seasons Template:2025–26 in Indian football Template:2025–26 in Asian football (AFC)