ISL 2026-27 Returns To Traditional Home-And-Away Format, Start Date Revealed

Last Updated:September 05, 2026, 7:15 PM IST

ISL 2026-27 season starts Oct 10, returns to home-and-away format with 163 matches. IWL begins Oct 16.

ISL 2026-27 season will go ahead without Diamond Harbour. (AIFF)

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 season will begin on October 10 and run through May 2027, returning to its traditional home-and-away format for 163 matches across eight months.

Last season, India’s premier football tournament was played in a shortened single-leg format in a short window after being delayed for weeks due to administrative and commercial issues.

The team finishing on top of the table at the end of the league stage will be crowned the Shield Winners and earn a slot in Asian competition. The play-off format will also return, with the top-six teams competing for the ISL Cup.

Thirteen teams are set to compete in the league, namely Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, Churchill Brothers FC, East Bengal FC, FC Goa, Inter Kashi FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, Punjab FC and Sporting Club Delhi.

Churchill Brothers will replace the popular Jamshedpur FC, and their participation is not yet confirmed. It’ll be subject to the club fulfilling the necessary regulatory requirements.

Diamond Harbour FC, who earned promotion to the ISL after winning the 2025-26 Indian Football League title, failed to fulfil the administrative fee requirement for the 2026-27 season and did not take up their promoted slot.

IWL to begin on October 16

The new season of the Indian Women’s League (IWL), India’s top-tier women’s football competition, will begin on October 16. Six clubs from last season — East Bengal FC, Sethu FC, Kickstart FC, Nita FA, Gokulam Kerala FC and Garhwal United FC — will be joined by promoted HOPS FC and Juba Sangha FC.

The IWL-2 group stage will start on October 23, featuring 20 teams split into four groups of five. The four group winners and two best runners-up will qualify for the six-team final round from November 25. The AIFF has also approved stricter coaching licence requirements from 2027-28, with IWL head coaches needing an AFC A Licence.

The federation is targeting a 10-team IWL by 2028-29 and 12 teams by 2032, while aiming for around 90 matches per season to provide players with greater competitive exposure and strengthen India’s women’s football ecosystem.

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When will the 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) season begin and what format will it use?

The 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) season will commence on October 10 and conclude in May 2027, returning to its traditional home-and-away format for 163 matches over eight months.

Which teams are participating in the 2026-27 ISL season, and what changes have occurred?

Thirteen teams are set to compete in the 2026-27 ISL season, including Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, and Mumbai City FC. Churchill Brothers FC will replace Jamshedpur FC, pending regulatory requirements, while Diamond Harbour FC did not take up their promoted slot.

What are the new coaching license requirements for the Indian Women’s League (IWL) starting in 2027-28?

Starting from the 2027-28 season, head coaches in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) will be required to hold an AFC A Licence.

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