| 2025–26 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | RoundGlass Sports Pvt. Ltd. | |||
| Director of Football |  Nikolaos Topoliatis | |||
| Head coach | Panagiotis Dilmperis | |||
| Stadium | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi | |||
| Indian Super League | Pre-season | |||
| Durand Cup | Group stage | |||
| Super Cup | Semi-final | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: All: various | |||
| Biggest win | 3–0 Gokulam Kerala (27 October 2025, Super Cup) 3–0 Mohammedan (1 November 2025, Super Cup) | |||
| Biggest defeat | 1–3 East Bengal (4 December 2025, Super Cup) | |||
|
| ||||
The 2025–26 season is the sixth season in Punjab FC's existence, the club's third consecutive season in Indian football's top-flight, and fifth overall. In addition to the league, the club will also take part in the 2025 Durand Cup and the 2025–26 Super Cup.
Background[edit | edit source]
Punjab finished eighth in the 2024–25 Indian Super League. After the completion of the 2024–25 season, the club chose not to renew the contracts of any of their foreign players and opted for an overhaul in the foreign contingent. The club became active right after the end of the previous season, roping in Muhammad Uvais from Jamshedpur FC[1] and Bijoy Varghese from Inter Kashi[2] to strengthen the defence after departures of Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Melroy Assisi and the Croatian centre-back Ivan Novoselec. Punjab also renewed the contract of head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis for one more season keeping him at the club till the end of the 2026–27 season.[3] The main highlight of the window for Punjab FC was the sale of fullback Abhishek Singh Tekcham to Mohun Bagan SG in a multi-crore rupees deal.[4] Punjab bolstered their squad with the signing of 3 foreigners - Dani Ramírez, Samir Zeljković and Effiong Nsungusi. All three players have completed their medicals, penning one-year contracts after arriving on free transfers.[5]
On 31 July, Punjab FC unveiled their new club crest, a face of a lion from front with the words "Punjab FC" below it.[6] Nikhil Prabhu was appointed team captain before the start of the Durand Cup.[7]
Squad[edit | edit source]
First team[edit | edit source]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Transfers[edit | edit source]
In[edit | edit source]
| Date | Player | Position | From | Transfer Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 June 2025 |  Muhammad Uvais
|
DF | Jamshedpur FC
|
Free transfer | [8] |
| 15 July 2025 | Bijoy Varghese
|
DF | Inter Kashi FC
|
Free transfer | [9] |
| 6 October 2025 |  Dani Ramírez
|
MF |  Manisa F.K.
|
Free transfer | |
| 6 October 2025 | Template:Country data BosniaTemplate:Preview warning Samir Zeljković | MF |  FK Radnički 1923
|
Free transfer | |
| 6 October 2025 |  Effiong Nsungusi
|
FW |  FC UTA Arad
|
Free transfer | |
| 21 October 2025 |  Pablo Santos
|
DF |  FC Noah
|
Free transfer | |
| 24 October 2025 | Bikash Singh Sagolsem
|
DF | Kerala Blasters
|
Free transfer | |
| 24 October 2025 | Arshdeep Singh
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GK | Hyderabad
|
Free transfer | |
| 25 November 2025 | Bede Osuji Amarachi
|
FW | Manisa F.K.
|
Free transfer |
Out[edit | edit source]
| Date | Player | Position | To | Transfer Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 June 2025 | Petros Giakoumakis
|
FW | Niki Volos F.C.
|
Free transfer | |
| 6 June 2025 |  Filip Mrzljak
|
MF |  FC Ufa
|
Free transfer | |
| 7 June 2025 | Ivan Novoselec
|
DF |  Duhok SC
|
Free transfer | |
| 8 June 2025 | Denechandra Meitei
|
DF | Free transfer | ||
| 17 June 2025 |  Template:Country data BosniaTemplate:Preview warning Asmir Suljić
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MF | Szeged-Csanád GA
|
Free transfer | |
| 19 June 2025 |  Luka Majcen
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FW | Diamond Harbour FC
|
Free transfer | |
| 20 June 2025 | Melroy Assisi
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DF | Diamond Harbour FC
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||
| 9 July 2025 |  Ezequiel Pulga Vidal
|
FW |  PSIM Yogyakarta
|
Free transfer | |
| 24 July 2025 | Abhishek Singh Tekcham
|
DF | Mohun Bagan Super Giant
|
[10] | |
| 11 November 2025 | Samuel Kynshi
|
MF | Gokulam Kerala
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||
| 11 November 2025 | Tejas Krishna
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DF | Thrissur Magic FC
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| 4 February 2026 | Ravi Kumar
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GK | Jamshedpur FC
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Free transfer |
Preseason and Friendlies[edit | edit source]
Punjab played 2 friendly matches – against Namdhari and Delhi on 5 October and 19 October respectively. Punjab won both the matches comfortably by 2–1 and 4–1. Suresh Meitei and Kipgen scored for Punjab in the 2–1 victory against Namdhari. Kipgen, Ninthoi, Nikhil Prabhu and Omang scored for Punjab in the 4–1 victory against Delhi. In January the team played two more friendlies against the same opponents as the start of the league season was delayed.
Matches[edit | edit source]
| 5 October 2025 Friendly | Punjab | 2–1 | Namdhari | Sri Bhaini Sahib |
| 10:00 IST |
|
Stadium: Namdhari Football Ground Attendance: 0[upper-alpha 1] |
| 19 October 2025 Friendly | Punjab | 4–1 | SC Delhi | Delhi |
| 10:00 IST |
|
Attendance: 0[upper-alpha 1] |
| 10/11 January 2026 Friendly | Punjab FC | 7-1 | Namdhari FC | |
| Attendance: 0 |
| 19 January 2026 Friendly | Punjab FC | 2–0 | SC Delhi |
Competitions[edit | edit source]
Overall record[edit | edit source]
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Durand Cup[edit | edit source]
Table[edit | edit source]
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| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | Shillong Lajong | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 6 | knockout stage |
| 2 | B | Diamond Harbour | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 6 | |
| 3 | A | Namdhari | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | |
| 4 | F | Real Kashmir | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | |
| 5 | C | Indian Army | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | |
| 6 | D | Punjab | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Matches[edit | edit source]
| 3 August 2025 Group stage | Morning Star | 1–2 | Punjab FC | Kokrajhar, Bodoland, Assam |
| 16:00 IST |
|
Report |
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Stadium: SAI Stadium Attendance: 3,500 Referee: Harish Kundu Man of the Match: Pramveer Singh (Punjab) |
| 6 August 2025 Group stage | ITBP FT | 0–0 | Punjab FC | Kokrajhar, Bodoland, Assam |
| 16:00 IST | Report | Stadium: SAI Stadium Attendance: 1,400 Referee: Jarvish Macwan Man of the Match: Donborlang Nongkynrih (ITBP) |
| 9 August 2025 Group stage | Punjab FC | 0–1 | Bodoland | Kokrajhar, Bodoland, Assam |
| 16:00 IST | Report |
|
Stadium: SAI Stadium Attendance: 12,545 Referee: Surojit Das Man of the Match: Robinson Blandon (Bodoland) |
Super Cup[edit | edit source]
Punjab will participate in the Super Cup and was grouped into Group C alongside Bengaluru, Mohammedan and Gokulam Kerala.[11]
Group stage[edit | edit source]
Template:2025–26 AIFF Super Cup group tables
Bracket[edit | edit source]
Script error: No such module "bracket".
Matches[edit | edit source]
| 27 October 2025 Group stage | Punjab | 3–0 | Gokulam Kerala | Bambolim |
| 16:30 IST | Report | Stadium: GMC Athletic Stadium Attendance: 189 Referee: K Ramdasan |
| 1 November 2025 Group stage | Mohammedan | 0–3 | Punjab | Bambolim |
| 16:30 IST | Report | Stadium: GMC Athletic Stadium Attendance: 123 Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar |
| 5 November 2025 Group stage | Bengaluru | 0–0 (4–5 p) | Punjab | Fatorda |
| 16:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Fatorda Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: Ashwin Man of the Match: Muheet Shabir (Punjab) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| 4 December 2025 Semi-final | East Bengal | 3–1 | Punjab | Fatorda |
| 16:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Fatorda Stadium Attendance: 300 Referee: Ashwin |
Punjab State Super League[edit | edit source]
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Sports results' not found.
Indian Super League[edit | edit source]
Table[edit | edit source]
Template:2025–26 Indian Super League points table
Matches[edit | edit source]
| 16 February 2026 1 | Odisha FC | Postponed | Punjab FC | |
| 5:00 PM IST | ||||
| Note: The match was postponed due to Odisha FC not having finalised a home venue for the season. | ||||
| 21 February 2026 2 | Jamshedpur FC | 1–0 | Punjab FC | Jamshedpur |
| 7:30 PM IST | Report | Stadium: JRD Tata Sports Complex Attendance: 7,230 Referee: Surojit Das |
| 27 Februaru 2026 3 | Bengaluru FC | 0–2 | Punjab FC | Bengaluru |
| 7:30 PM IST | Report | Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium Attendance: 9,614 Referee: Ramachandran Venkatesh |
| 9 March 2026 4 | Punjab FC | 1–1 | NorthEast United | New Delhi |
| 7:30 PM IST | Report | Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi Attendance: 3,897 Referee: Harish Kundu |
| 16 March 2026 5 | Punjab FC | 1–1 | FC Goa | New Delhi |
| 7:30 PM IST |
|
Report | Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi Referee: Crystal John |
| 21 March 2026 6 | Kerala Blasters | 1–3 | Punjab FC | Kochi |
| 7:30 PM IST | Report | Stadium: Kaloor Stadium Referee: Ashwin |
| 3 April 2026 7 | Punjab FC | 2–1 | Mohammedan SC | New Delhi |
| 7:30 PM IST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi Referee: Jamal Mohamed |
Summary[edit | edit source]
August 2025[edit | edit source]
Punjab FC started their Durand Cup campaign on 3 August against Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC in Kokrajhar, Assam with an all-domestic lineup. The match ended in a 2-1 win for Punjab, courtesy goals by Pramveer and Sanathoi.[12] Punjab then played against ITBP FT and were held to a goalless draw.[13] In the third match on 9 August, Punjab faced resilient Bodoland FC and were handed a tough loss by them which brought an end to Punjab's Durand Cup campaign.
October-November 2025[edit | edit source]
The AIFF decided to organise the 2025-26 Super Cup before the Indian Super League due to administrative problems between the federation and their commercial partners.
Statistics[edit | edit source]
Squad appearances and goals[edit | edit source]
Most Goals[edit | edit source]
| Sl. No. | Player | Durand Cup | Super Cup | League | Total goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Effiong Nsungusi | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 2 | Dani Ramírez | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Samir Zeljković | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Pramveer Singh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Konsam Sanathoi Singh | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Muhammad Suhail F | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Nikhil Prabhu | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Princeton Rebello | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Ninthoinganba Meetei | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Manglenthang Kipgen | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Bede Osuji | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Most Assists[edit | edit source]
| Sl. No. | Player | Durand Cup | Super Cup | League | Total assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manglenthang Kipgen | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Muhammad Suhail | 0 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Dani Ramírez | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Samir Zeljković | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 3 | Singamayum Shami | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Muhammad Uvais | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Princeton Rebello | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Ninthoinganba Meetei | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Leon Augustine | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Khaiminthang Lhungdim | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Bede Osuji | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Cleansheets[edit | edit source]
| Sl. No. | Player | Matches played | Cleansheets kept | Cleansheet % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muheet Shabir | 4 | 3 | 75 |
| 2 | Ravi Kumar | 3 | 1 | 33.3 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 6 | 1 | 16.2 |
Notes[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "ISL Transfers: Punjab FC Announces the Signing of Defender Muhammed Uvais". The Bridge. 15 June 2025.
- ↑ "Punjab FC sign defender Bijoy Varghese". The Print. 15 July 2025.
- ↑ "Punjab FC extends contract of head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis". Sportstar. 10 June 2025.
- ↑ "ISL champions Mohun Bagan set to sign Tekcham Abhishek Singh in ₹8 Crore+ deal".
- ↑ Bhattacharjee, Neeladri (6 October 2025). "Punjab FC strengthens overseas roster before Super Cup, signs Zeljkovic, Ramirez and Effiong". Sportstar.
- ↑ "Fans react to Punjab FC's new logo".
- ↑ "Punjab FC appoint Nikhil Prabhu as captain for Durand Cup". NewKerala.
- ↑ "Muhammad Uvais joins the Shers".
- ↑ "Punjab FC announces signing of defender Bijoy Varghese".
- ↑ "Mohun Bagan announces signing Abhishek Tekcham from Punjab FC till 2029". 24 July 2025.
- ↑ "Group stage draw for Kalinga Super Cup 2023-24 conducted". the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024.
- ↑ Durandfootball (3 August 2025). "Punjab FC start their Durand Cup campaign with late win over Karbi Anglong". Durand Cup.
- ↑ "ITBP holds Punjab FC to goalless draw". Sportstar. 6 August 2025.