IWL to kick off in December, to be played in two phases

The first phase of the 2025-26 season will begin on 20th December.

The Indian Women’s League (IWL) is finally back with a new season after days of precariousness over the schedule. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), in a statement released earlier on Monday, announced that the 2025-26 season of the Indian Women’s League will be played in two phases.

The upcoming season is crucial with the Indian Women’s teams preparing to participate in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The two-phased schedule has been locked in, keeping the schedule of the Asian competition in contention.

IWL set to begin in December

The AIFF has announced the dates for the two phases of the new Indian Women’s League season. The first phase will commence on December 20th, with the conclusion scheduled for January 6, 2026. The season will be back with the second phase action on April 20, 2026. The second phase will conclude on May 10, 2026, also marking the end of the 2025-26 season.

This announcement has come as a relief for the Indian Women’s Football. There were speculations and conjectures regarding the schedule of the IWL season. The delayed start to the season has harmed the preparedness of the Indian Women’s team for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The recent disappointing results made it clear that the IWL season would play a key role in bringing the preparation back on track.

Break for AFC Women’s Asian Cup

The upcoming IWL season has been planned in two phases as the AFC Women’s Asian Cup is scheduled to kick off on March 1, 2026. This clash has pushed the AIFF to plan the season in a way that will provide the Indian team with ample time to prepare.

Another reason for a two-phased schedule is the absence of national team players in the middle of the season. This unavailability could have dented the prospects of various IWL clubs banking on the brilliance of national team players to clinch the IWL title.

The break will also help Joakim Alexandersson to prepare his team for the U20 and U17 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The Swedish tactician will lead the Indian age group teams in a back-to-back challenge, putting his resolve to the test. He pulled off a miraculous campaign with both teams, taking them to the continental competitions after an absence of two decades.

The IWL clubs will have the services of the U20 players, but the U17 players will be missing in action as the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup starts on April 30, 2026. Whereas, the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup will begin on April 1, 2026, and conclude on the 18th of the same month.

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