ISL 2025-26: I-League winner Matija Babovic joins Sporting Club Delhi

Serbian forward won the I-League with Inter Kashi last season.

With the 2025-26 Indian Super League season set to kickoff on 14th February, excitement is building in the Indian football circle as clubs have begun finalising their squads. With 14 clubs set to take the field, this season would be the biggest ISL season – with respect to the number of clubs.

SC Delhi, alongside Inter Kashi, are the latest additions to the league. While the latter were promoted after winning the I-League, Sporting Club Delhi have replaced Hyderabad FC after the club’s owners decided to shift their base to the national capital.

While they inherited the majority of Hyderabad FC’s squad from last season, Delhi have made a few key additions, showing that they mean business. The recent signings of Azhar and Aimen helped increase the squad depth. The capital club have now signed I-League winner Mateja Babovic to further strengthen their squad ahead of the upcoming season.

Who is Matija Babovic?

Matija Babovic has quietly become one of the more reliable foreign forwards to feature in Indian football over the last few seasons. Standing at 1.87m, tall, physically imposing and comfortable playing with his back to goal, fitting the mould of a classic centre-forward. A former Serbia U17 international, he brings with him both European training and a growing understanding of the Indian game.

Before moving to India, Babovic developed within Serbia’s competitive football structure, spending time at clubs such as Partizan, OFK Beograd and Vršac, along with loan spells that helped shape his senior career. He also played in Slovakia’s second division, where he showed his knack for finding goals at a consistent rate.

Across European competitions, he demonstrated efficiency rather than explosiveness, often scoring at key moments and occupying defenders to create space for teammates. His overall career numbers reflect that reliability, with 34 goals from 116 senior appearances across leagues.

Babovic’s Indian journey began with Gokulam Kerala FC during the 2023–24 I-League season, where he made an immediate impact. He scored five goals and added an assist in just 12 league appearances, playing a key role in Gokulam’s attacking structure. A brief move to Dempo SC followed, where he continued to deliver despite limited matches, scoring twice in six league outings. His performances earned him a transfer to Inter Kashi midway through the 2024–25 season.

At Inter Kashi, Babovic featured regularly and shouldered significant responsibility in attack. Across the 2024–25 campaign, he made 21 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals, including four in the I-League and one in the Super Cup, logging over 1,200 minutes.

What to expect from SC Delhi?

SC Delhi have a young squad at their behest and are clearly looking to add experience to their ranks. The club finished bottom of their group in the AIFF Super Cup 2025-26, picking up one point in three games.

While they won’t be the title favourites in the 2025-26 ISL season, the upcoming campaign would be one to grow in confidence and to play fearless football for Tomasz Tchorz’s side.

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