All clubs confirm participation for ISL 2025-26
ISL 2025-26 will kick off on February 14.
All 14 Indian Super League (ISL) clubs, including debutants Inter Kashi and even Odisha FC, who were in doubt, have officially confirmed their participation for the 2025–26 season, bringing much-needed clarity ahead of the delayed campaign. Earlier, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had asked clubs to submit a participation fee of ₹1 crore by January 12, while also confirming their proposed home venues by Monday noon on the same date.
The federation conveyed that these confirmations were essential to begin scheduling work for the new season, which is set to kick off on February 14. With all 14 teams taking part, the upcoming season will feature 91 matches played in a single home-and-away format. With venues finalised, the AIFF can now move ahead with preparing a compressed calendar for a season that has faced repeated delays.
AIFF outlines next steps after club confirmations
The AIFF stated that once confirmations and deposits were received, it would initiate several parallel processes. These include sharing a draft governance framework for the Indian Super League, circulating draft RFPs to appoint broadcast and commercial partners for the 2025–26 season, and formally approaching the AFC to seek an exemption related to ACL 2 slots. In addition, the federation indicated it would begin work on fixtures, operational logistics, and draft participation agreements to be signed with the clubs.
On the financial front, the AIFF outlined a total proposed budget of ₹24.26 crore for the season. From this, the federation will contribute ₹9.77 crore upfront, while each participating club will provide ₹1 crore as its share. The remaining expenses will be managed through allocated federation resources as the league progresses.
Revised ISL 2025–26 schedule shared with clubs
| Serial No | Particulars | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Letter to AFC for exemption. | 12 January 2026 |
| 2 | Publishing RFP for securing broadcast partner for the Indian Super League season 2025–26. | 14 January 2026 |
| 3 | Publishing RFP for securing commercial partner for the ISL season 2025–26. | 15 January 2026 |
| 4 | Deadline for submission of bids in response to RFP for securing broadcast partner for the Indian Super League season 2025–26. | 29 January 2026 |
| 5 | Deadline for submission of bids in response to RFP for securing commercial partner for the ISL season 2025–26. | 30 January 2026 |
| 6 | Onboarding of broadcast partners for the Indian Super League season 2025–26. | 5 February 2026 |
| 7 | Onboarding of commercial partner for the ISL season 2025–26. | 5 February 2026 |
| 8 | Finalisation of long-term structure and governance proposal for the Indian Super League. | 20 January 2026 |
| 9 | Start of Indian Super League season 2025–26. | 14 February 2026 |
| 10 | Publishing RFP for securing long-term commercial partner for the Indian Super League season 2026–27 onwards. | 20 February 2026 |
| 11 | Finalisation and execution of twenty (20) year agreements for participation in the Indian Super League. | 15 February 2026 |
| 12 | Finalisation of the long-term commercial partner for the ISL season 2026–27 onwards. | 15 March 2026 |
| 13 | Finalisation of logistics and operational aspects for the 2026–27 season of the ISL. | 25 May 2026 |
| 14 | Finalisation of club licensing requirements, financial fair play models and salary cap for the ISL season 2026–27 onwards. | 1 April 2026 |
When does the ISL 2025–26 season start?
The ISL 2025–26 season begins on February 14, 2026.
How many teams will play in ISL 2025–26?
The ISL 2025–26 season will feature 14 clubs. Each team will play a single home-and-away round, leading to a total of 91 matches.
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A sports journalist for over 4 years, Triyasha has been covering Indian Football and Kanbaddi meticulously, She specialises in in-depth knowledge of the game, the players and the footballing infrastructure and heritage in India.