All uncertainty around the upcoming season of Indian football has finally come to an end. The Indian Super League will begin on February 14, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Tuesday. The decision was taken after a meeting in Delhi involving club representatives, the All India Football Federation, and the Sports Ministry. Mandaviya later confirmed the details at a press conference and said the government would extend full support to ensure the smooth conduct of the league. The upcoming ISL season will feature 14 teams, with no reduction in the number of participating clubs.
Also Read | Chelsea hires Liam Rosenior to lead star-studded squad until 2032
ISL schedule and government support
The start of the league had been delayed due to the absence of a commercial partner, which had raised serious concerns about the future of Indian football. By announcing the dates, the Sports Minister helped ease those worries. Speaking after the meeting, Mandaviya said there had been speculation around the ISL for a long time, but a final decision was now taken with the agreement of the government, AIFF, and all 14 clubs. He confirmed that every club would take part in the tournament.
Also Read | Big stars, bold auctions and new leaders: here is everything you should know about WPL 2026
League format, funding, and teams
AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, who was present at the meeting, shared more details about the season. A total of 91 matches will be played in the ISL on a home-and-away basis. The I-League will also be held at the same time, with 11 teams playing 55 matches. To ensure smooth operations, a corpus of Rs. 25 crore has been created. Since there is no commercial partner yet, AIFF will step in with financial support, providing 14 crore rupees for the ISL and around Rs. 3.2 crore for the I-League. Chaubey also said a governing council will be formed to oversee both leagues. Teams set to feature include Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting, Kerala Blasters, FC Goa, Mumbai City FC, Chennaiyin FC, Bengaluru FC, NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC, Odisha FC, Inter Kashi, and SC Delhi.
