All posts tagged: Indian football league

AIFF wants to change its name to Football Federation of Bharat, approaches govt

AIFF wants to change its name to Football Federation of Bharat, approaches govt

Published by Webster

2 min readUpdated: Jun 20, 2026 08:17 PM IST Indian football’s governing body doesn’t want to call itself the All India Football Federation (AIFF) anymore. The federation said in a statement on Saturday that it will be submit a proposal to the sports ministry to change its name to the Football Federation of Bharat (FFB). Its current name has been in existence since its founding on June 23, 1937. The submission of the proposal was one of many key decisions that it announced after a Special General Body Meeting which was held virtually on Saturday. “It was further resolved that a proposal be submitted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) for renaming the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as the Football Federation of Bharat (FFB),” said the federation in its statement. Among other key decisions included the announcement of a start date of September 4, 2026 for the 2026/27 season of the Indian Super League, asking clubs to field three foreign players and one holding an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card, …

Diamond Harbour FC wins the Indian Football League title to earn a promotion to ISL

Diamond Harbour FC wins the Indian Football League title to earn a promotion to ISL

Published by Webster

Late drama unfolded in the closing moments as an injury-time goal from Hugo Díaz earned Diamond Harbour FC a 1-1 draw against Dempo SC at the PJN Stadium in Goa on Sunday. The point helped them clinch the Indian Football League 2025-26 title and continued their fairy tale run, climbing up four tiers in just three seasons and gaining promotion to the top tier, Indian Super League. Needing only a point to wrap up the title, Diamond Harbour were trailing from the 50th minute after Marcus Joseph gave Dempo SC the lead. A goal in the first minute of injury time ensured that they secured 29 points, thus winning their maiden IFL title, with a match to spare. The side from West Bengal won their third promotion in as many seasons after winning the I-League 3 and I-League 2 in the previous campaigns. Diamond Harbour showed signs of nervousness in the opening half hour, misplacing simple passes and lacking clarity in their attacking approach. The first chance of the game came for the home side …

I-League officially rebranded to Indian Football League

I-League officially rebranded to Indian Football League

Published by Webster

I-League, the second division of Indian football, has been officially rebranded to the Indian Football League (IFL), the All India Football Federation announced on Thursday. The decision was taken during an online meeting of the AIFF Executive Committee. “The All India Football Federation’s Executive Committee, in an online meeting on Thursday, February 12, 2026, approved the rebranding of the I-League to the Indian Football League from the 2025-26 season,” the AIFF said in a statement. The proposal to rebrand the I-League as Indian Football League was made last month by the club owners along with the AIFF. The I-League was launched in 2007 as India’s top tier league, before being demoted to the second division ahead of the 2025-26 season. The delayed 2025-26 season of the Indian Football League is set to commence on 21 February, 2026. The committee also ratified the charter for the Governing Council of the Indian Super League as well as the Indian Football League. The Indian Super League 2025-26 is set to commence on Saturday after a long period of …

I-League rebranded as Indian Football League, 2025-26 season to begin on February 21

I-League rebranded as Indian Football League, 2025-26 season to begin on February 21

Published by Webster

The I-League will officially begin its 2025-26 season on February 21 under a revised identity and competition structure, following a meeting between club representatives and officials of the All India Football Federation in New Delhi on Wednesday. As part of the overhaul, the I-League will now be referred to as the Indian Football League, while continuing to function as the second tier of the Indian football pyramid below the Indian Super League. Clubs have proposed the creation of a Governing Council and a Managing Committee, with representation from participating teams, the AIFF and a future commercial partner. The proposal has been forwarded to the AIFF Executive Committee for approval. According to the plan submitted by the clubs, the upcoming season will follow a two-stage format. In the opening phase, teams will compete in a single-leg home-and-away round-robin. Based on standings after Stage 1, the league will then split into two groups. The top half will enter a home-and-away championship round, while the remaining teams will contest a centralised relegation round. Points earned in the first …

I-League gets new name, new format, new governing council | Football News

I-League gets new name, new format, new governing council | Football News

Published by Parlour News

The second tier of domestic football, called the I-League till now, has been rechristened Indian Football League, with the new season starting on February 21 with a new format and new governing council. The announcement was made jointly by All India Football Federation (AIFF) and club representatives on Wednesday. The new-name league, still the second division in the Indian footballing ecosystem, would now consist of a Governing Council in which the clubs, the AIFF and the commercial partner would be represented and hold equity. For long-term followers of the I-League, this change in name isn’t new. In 1996, the AIFF started a semi-professional competition called the National Football League. Then in 2007, it was rebranded as the I-League. Later, the I-League was demoted to the second division of Indian football and the parallel venture called Indian Super League became the top tier in the country. There is no clarity about the platform (television or online) where Indian Football League matches would be aired during the reduced 2025-26 season and the AIFF and clubs are yet …

AIFF moves to operationalise ISL 2025–26, sets deadline for club confirmations

AIFF moves to operationalise ISL 2025–26, sets deadline for club confirmations

Published by Webster

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has formally written to Indian Super League clubs seeking confirmation of participation in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025–26 season, outlining the proposed format, budget structure and immediate next steps required to operationalise the truncated campaign. In a letter dated 10th January 2026 and signed by AIFF deputy general secretary M Satyanarayan, the federation thanked clubs for attending the January 6 meeting and for agreeing “in principle” to participate in the upcoming season, while reiterating that the league will be organised with the cooperation of all participating teams. According to the letter, the 2025–26 ISL season has been proposed with a total budget of ₹24.26 crore, of which ₹9.77 crore will be contributed by AIFF, while each participating club will contribute ₹1 crore. The season is expected to feature 14 clubs, with the detailed proposal and an alternate plan attached as annexures to the communication. AIFF also assured clubs that it has begun parallel efforts to ensure the league is conducted “in letter and spirit”, including coordination with local …

Inter Kashi pull off stunning heist, Churchill finish with a draw, but champions not decided yet

Inter Kashi pull off stunning heist, Churchill finish with a draw, but champions not decided yet

Published by Webster

The 2024-25 I-League season has wrapped up… well, sort of. You know things aren’t ideal when a team – in this case Churchill Brothers – finish as leaders at the end of the league, but despite that, cannot celebrate at the final whistle of their last league match.Churchill finished with 40 points after playing out a fiery draw with Real Kashmir on Sunday in the season finale. They don’t know yet if they have won the title though, because Inter Kashi – whose tally of 39 points has an asterisk around it – could still be crowned champions. Why? Kashi’s disputed clash against Namdhari FC is under review by the AIFF Appeal Committee. Namdhari allegedly fielded an ineligible player. If the ruling goes Kashi’s way, they’ll be awarded three points, taking them to 42 and snatching the title right out from under Churchill’s nose. Incredible finale In a country where the top-most league – the Indian Super League – doesn’t have relegation, one has to appreciate the fight that the second-tier I-League provides, where the …

ISL Matchday 2: Why won’t ISL clubs invest time in Indian strikers? | Football News

Published by Webster

Sift through previews of the Indian Super League. Notice how many strikers are mentioned in these previews and then notice how many of those names, barring Sunil Chhetri, are Indian. Dmitri Petratos of Mohun Bagan, Dimitrios Diamantakos of Kerala Blasters, Armando Sadiku of FC Goa – the list goes on and Indians rarely make the cut. That has been the story of the Indian Super League – one that refuses to change two weeks into its 11th year of existence. The second game of Matchday 1 between Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC saw a unique occurrence where two Indian strikers – playing in their positions – faced off against each other. But barring that rare incident, the position of a striker is a strictly expat-level responsibility, one that has affected the Indian national football team in the past and continues to do so. Since the ISL became the top league in India, game-time for Indian strikers has steadily dwindled. This season, Sunil Chhetri either starts from the wing or from the bench – when he …

Mumbai City FC play thrilling draw with Mohun Bagan Super Giants

Published by Webster

The new Indian Super League season kicked off with the same old habits. There were breathtaking runs on the wings. Shots that resembled the drop kicks in rugby. Catastrophic defensive blunders. And an almighty tug-of-war between Mumbai City and Mohun Bagan Super Giants. Between them, the two teams have won the majority of the silverware on offer in the last four seasons. And if the opening night was anything to go by, they will remain the teams to beat once again this term. More so Mumbai City FC, who will leave Kolkata with a feeling that they gifted a below-par Bagan a point in a match they dominated from the first whistle. Vulnerable defence Attacking gaffes and defensive errors cost them two points as the league’s most miserly back-line last season – with nine clean sheets – showed signs of vulnerability. It’s amusing when the Indian Super League clubs try to play out from the back. They never tiki-taka their way out but play wobbly, slow passes before switching into panic mode. It might be …