I-League 3 2025-26 set to kick off on April 27 across four venues

20 teams will participate in four groups

The 2025-26 season of the I-League 3, the fourth tier of the Indian men’s football league system, will commence on April 27, 2026, with four groups being hosted in four different venues, where the clubs will play each other in a single round-robin format.

Group A and Group B matches will be played in Imphal at the Khuman Lampak Stadium and the SAI Turf Ground, respectively, while Group C fixtures will take place at the Mulna Football Stadium in Balaghat, and Group D at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru for the I-League 3.

The top two teams will earn promotion to the I-League 2

At the end of the group stage of the I-League 3, the top team from each group, along with the two best second-placed teams, will qualify for the Final Round. The Final Round will be conducted in a centralised single round-robin format.

The top two teams at the end of the Final Round will earn promotion to I-League 2 2026-27.

On the opening day, Group A will witness FC Raengdai take on ARA FC, while Mawlai Sport Club face Sikkim Brotherhood FC at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal. In Group C, BLG – The Diamond Rock FC will play KLASA FC, followed by Kuppuraj FC taking on Chhaygaon FC at the Mulna Football Stadium in Balaghat of the I-League 3.

Group D action will also kick off on the same day, with FC Agniputhra facing Techtro Swades United FC, and Royal Rangers Football Club meeting FC Banaras Baghpat at the CSE Football Arena in Bengaluru.

Group B matches of the I-League 3 will begin on April 28, with TRAU FC taking on Mumbai Football Club, while Samaleshwari SC faces Zinc Football Academy later in the afternoon at the SAI Turf Ground in Imphal.

A total of 20 teams will participate in I-League 3 2025-26, divided into four groups of five teams each.

Group A: FC Raengdai, Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club, Sunrise Club Orissa, ARA FC, Mawlai Sport ClubGroup B: TRAU FC, Zinc Football Academy, Clube de Salgaocar, Mumbay Football Club, Samaleshwari SCGroup C: BLG – The Diamond Rock FC, Chhaygaon FC, Citadel Godavari Legends FC, KLASA FC, Kuppuraj FCGroup D: FC Agniputhra, FC Banaras Baghpat, New Friends Club Dantewada, Techtro Swades United FC, Royal Rangers Football Club

Among the participating teams, TRAU FC and KLASA FC were relegated from I-League 2 2024-25 after finishing eighth and ninth, respectively.

Take a look at the fixtures of the I-League 3 2025-26.

I-League 3 2025-26 Group Stage Fixtures

Group A – Khuman Lampak Stadium, Imphal

• April 27, 2026Match 1: FC Raengdai vs ARA FC, 09:00 ISTMatch 2: Mawlai Sport Club vs Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club, 15:00 IST
• April 29, 2026Match 3: Sunrise Club Orissa vs Mawlai Sport Club, 09:00 ISTMatch 4: Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club vs ARA FC, 15:00 IST
• May 1, 2026Match 5: Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club vs FC Raengdai, 09:00 ISTMatch 6: Sunrise Club Orissa vs ARA FC, 15:00 IST
• May 3, 2026Match 7: ARA FC vs Mawlai Sport Club, 09:00 ISTMatch 8: FC Raengdai vs Sunrise Club Orissa, 15:00 IST
• May 5, 2026Match 9: Sunrise Club Orissa vs Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club, 09:00 ISTMatch 10: Mawlai Sport Club vs FC Raengdai, 15:00 IST

Group B: SAI Turf Ground, Imphal

• April 28, 2026Match 1: TRAU FC vs Mumbay Football Club, 09:00 ISTMatch 2: Samaleshwari SC vs Zinc Football Academy, 15:00 IST
• April 30, 2026Match 3: Clube de Salgaocar vs Samaleshwari SC, 09:00 ISTMatch 4: Zinc Football Academy vs Mumbay Football Club, 15:00 IST
• May 2, 2026Match 5: Zinc Football Academy vs TRAU FC, 09:00 ISTMatch 6: Clube de Salgaocar vs Mumbay Football Club, 15:00 IST
• May 4, 2026Match 7: Mumbay Football Club vs Samaleshwari SC, 09:00 ISTMatch 8: TRAU FC vs Clube de Salgaocar, 15:00 IST
• May 6, 2026Match 9: Clube de Salgaocar vs Zinc Football Academy, 09:00 ISTMatch 10: Samaleshwari SC vs TRAU FC, 15:00 IST

Group C – Mulna Football Stadium, Balaghat

• April 27, 2026Match 1: BLG – The Diamond Rock FC vs KLASA FC, 09:00 ISTMatch 2: Kuppuraj FC vs Chhaygaon FC, 16:00 IST
• April 29, 2026Match 3: Citadel Godavari Legends FC vs Kuppuraj FC, 09:00 ISTMatch 4: Chhaygaon FC vs KLASA FC, 16:00 IST
• May 1, 2026Match 5: Chhaygaon FC vs BLG – The Diamond Rock FC, 09:00 ISTMatch 6: Citadel Godavari Legends FC vs KLASA FC, 16:00 IST
• May 3, 2026Match 7: KLASA FC vs Kuppuraj FC, 09:00 ISTMatch 8: BLG – The Diamond Rock FC vs Citadel Godavari Legends FC, 16:00 IST
• May 5, 2026Match 9: Citadel Godavari Legends FC vs Chhaygaon FC, 09:00 ISTMatch 10: Kuppuraj FC vs BLG – The Diamond Rock FC, 16:00 IST

Group D, CSE Football Arena, Bengaluru

• April 27, 2026Match 1: FC Agniputhra vs Techtro Swades United FC, 09:00 ISTMatch 2: Royal Rangers Football Club vs FC Banaras Baghpat, 16:00 IST
• April 29, 2026Match 3: New Friends Club, Dantewada vs Royal Rangers Football Club, 09:00 ISTMatch 4: FC Banaras Baghpat vs Techtro Swades United FC, 16:00 IST
• May 1, 2026Match 5: FC Banaras Baghpat vs FC Agniputhra, 09:00 ISTMatch 6: New Friends Club, Dantewada vs Techtro Swades United FC, 16:00 IST
• May 3, 2026Match 7: Techtro Swades United FC vs Royal Rangers Football Club, 09:00 ISTMatch 8: FC Agniputhra vs New Friends Club, Dantewada, 16:00 IST
• May 5, 2026Match 9: New Friends Club, Dantewada vs FC Banaras Baghpat, 09:00 ISTMatch 10: Royal Rangers Football Club vs FC Agniputhra, 16:00 IST

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