2025–26 Indian Super League

The 2025–26 Indian Super League was the 12th season of the Indian Super League (ISL) and the 30th season of top-tier Indian football. It was commenced on 14 February and ended on 21 May 2026 with 91 matches played in this period.

Mohun Bagan are the defending champions, having won their second Indian Super League title and seventh Indian title last season.

• 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. 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. 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.

• This is the first season without the post-season ISL Cup playoffs. 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 champions.

• The AIFF will implement relegation this season onwards, despite objections from all 14 clubs, who cited the shortened season as their primary concern.

• ISL clubs qualify for AFC continental club competitions, with the league champions earning qualification for the subsequent season's AFC Champions League Two qualifying stage.

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.

On 7 October 2025, Hyderabad FC announced its relocation to Delhi and rebranded to SC Delhi.

Promoted from I-League

• Inter Kashi

Rebranded clubs

• Hyderabad FC shifted its base to Delhi and rebranded as Sporting Club Delhi.

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.

Due to the uncertainty surrounding Indian football, a number of foreign players exited their clubs before the start of the shortened season.

As of 21 May 2026

• Most yellow cards: 4

  • 13 players

• Most red cards: 1

  • 12 players

• Most yellow cards: 39

  • NorthEast United

• Most red cards: 2

  • Inter Kashi
  • Jamshedpur
  • Kerala Blasters
  • Mohammedan

As of 19 May 2026

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• 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

  • 2025–26 Indian Women's League (Tier I)
  • 2025–26 Indian Women's League 2 (Tier II)

• Indian Super League official website