The 2025–26 Indian Football League (previously the I-League), also known as the Star Cement Indian Football League (due to sponsorship reasons with Star Cement), was the fourth season of the Indian Football League as the second tier of the Indian football league system, which started on February 27, 2026. Inter Kashi were the reigning champions, having won the 2024–25 I-League.
Developments After the Indian Super League received no bids for a sponsor, the I-League was left without a commercial partner too, putting the future of the league in doubt.
On 15 February 2026, the AIFF announced that the rebranded 2025–26 Indian Football League season will feature a two-stage format. Stage 1 will see the 10 participating clubs compete in a single-leg home-and-away round-robin format. In Stage 2, the teams get divided into two groups. Those that finished in the top half in Stage 1 will advance to a home-and-away championship round, while the bottom half will compete in a centralised relegation round. All points from Stage 1 will be carried forward to Stage 2. The league toppers at the end of Stage 2 will be crowned the Indian Football League champions and will be promoted to the 2026–27 Indian Super League.
On 8th April 2026, the AIFF informed all clubs that going forward all matches would be played in the evenings under lights to increase primetime viewership. Hence, floodlights would have to be mandatory in every stadium, failing which a fine of 9 lakhs would be imposed in each instance the club failed to comply.
Club changes The following clubs have changed division since the 2024–25 season: # Club Path Entered IFL 1 Diamond Harbour Promoted from 2024–25 IL2 2 Chanmari Exited IFL 1 Inter Kashi Promoted to 2025–26 ISL 2 Relegated to 2025–26 IL2 3 Delhi 4 Withdrew and relegated to 2025–26 IL2 The AIFF appeal committee stayed relegation for Delhi and Sporting Bengaluru from the 2024–25 I-League season until it arrives at a final judgement. Later, CAS terminated SC Bengaluru's appeal over non-payment and both teams entered Indian Football League One in this season.
Churchill Brothers withdrew from the league.
Clubs
TeamLocationStadiumCapacityAizawlAizawl, MizoramRajiv Gandhi Stadium20,000ChanmariDempoCarambolim, GoaJLN Stadium19,000Diamond HarbourDiamond Harbour, West BengalBankimanjali Stadium15,000Kalyani Stadium20,000Gokulam KeralaKozhikode, KeralaPayyanad Stadium30,000NamdhariBhaini Sahib, PunjabNamdhari Stadium1,000Rajasthan UnitedJaipur, RajasthanVD Nagar Stadium3,000Real KashmirSrinagar, Jammu & KashmirTRC Turf Ground10,000Shillong LajongShillong, MeghalayaSSA Stadium5,000Sreenidi DeccanHyderabad, TelanganaDeccan Arena1,500
Personnel and sponsorship TeamHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsorAizawl R Lalruatfela VanlalhriatpuiaVamosNECS LimitedChanmari Dipankur Sharma ZothanmawiaSix5SixLESDE MizoramDiamond Harbour Kibu Vicuña Jobby JustinNauticaBirla TyresDempo Samir Naik Ariston CostaShiv NareshDempoGokulam Kerala Dimitris Dimitriou NiliFLY HIGHSree GokulamNamdhari Harpreet Singh Jaskaranpreet SinghSPS HospitalsNamdharisRajasthan United Vikas Rawat Bhabindra Malla ThakuriKing SportsVertak GroupReal Kashmir Ishfaq Ahmed Mohammad InamHummelLivpureShillong Lajong Birendra Thapa Kenstar KharshongKing SportsMeghalaya TourismSreenidi Deccan Carlos Vaz Pinto David CastañedaSix5SixSreenidhi Sports
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentGokulam Kerala Renjith TAEnd of interim spell6 June 2025Pre-season José Hevia6 June 2025Shillong Lajong José HeviaMutual consent5 June 2025 Birendra Thapa18 July 2025Sreenidi Deccan Ishant SinghEnd of interim spell11 November 2025 Carlos Vaz Pinto12 November 2025Chanmari Dipankur SharmaEnd of contract31 May 2025 Victor Lalbiakmawia20 February 2026Gokulam Kerala José HeviaMutual Consent10 January 2026 Derrick Pereira11 January 2026Gokulam Kerala Derrick PereiraRe-appointed as technical director 5 March 20269th Dimitris Dimitriou6 March 2026Chanmari Victor LalbiakmawiaSacked 26 March 20267th Dipankur Sharma26 March 2026
Foreign players Bold denotes the player was signed mid-season. Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Unregistered player(s) Former player(s)Aizawl Higor Gomes Luis Rodriguez Timur Talipov Chanmari Joao Vitor Morais Pedro Lucas Marlon Rangel Emmanuel Badu Kyle Degelman Diamond Harbour Sunday Afolabi Luka Majcen Mikel Kortazar Antonio Moyano Hugo DíazDempo Damian Perez Roa Sebastián Gutiérrez José Luis Moreno Richmond Kwasi Owusu Aubin Kouakou Marcus JosephGokulam Kerala Vítor Barata Aminou Bouba Armand Bazié Thabiso Brown Benjamin Kuku Mirjalol Kasimov Nili John Kennedy Amid ArezouNamdhari Francis Addo Lamine Moro Najib Fuseini Abdoulaye Diallo Milos Gordic Rajasthan United Jonathan Fernandes Amadou Soukouna Abdul Samed Ango Isaac Nortey Gerard Artigas Jordan Lamela Cedric Gogoua Pedro AstrayReal Kashmir Marius Obekop Kamal Issah Mamoud Oshie Djakaridja Traore Habib Fofana Shedrack Charles Fandje ToureShillong Lajong Sreenidi Deccan Paulo Cezar Fabrice Kah David Castañeda Roly Bonevacia Pape Gassama Hadi Idrissou
First stage First stage league table
Fixtures and results
Results by games
Positions by round
Promotion round Points table
Fixtures and results
Results by games
Positions by round
Relegation round Points table
Fixtures and results
Results by games
Positions by round
Final league table </onlyinclude>
Season statistics Top scorers RankPlayerTeamGoals1 Marcus JosephDempo92 Phrangki BuamShillong Lajong8 Hugo DíazDiamond Harbour4 Everbrightson MylliempdahShillong Lajong75 ZomuansangaAizawl66 Antonio MoyanoDiamond Harbour5David CastañedaSreenidi Deccan Gerard ArtigasRajasthan United9 Shedrack CharlesReal Kashmir4 Luka MajcenDiamond Harbour Amadou SoukounaRajasthan United Hadi IdrissouSreenidi Deccan Manvir SinghNamdhari Gladdy Nelcen KharbuliShillong Lajong Treimiki Lamurong
Top assists RankPlayerTeamAssists1 Thabiso BrownGokulam Kerala4 Antonio MoyanoDiamond Harbour3 Bryce Miranda3 Jobby Justin Joao Vitor MoraisChanmari P Christopher Kamei H LalrempuiaAizawl Shedrack CharlesReal Kashmir Ephraim LalremtluangaShillong Lajong10 Gladdy Nelcen Kharbuli2 Jakob Vanlalhlimpuia LaltlanzovaAizawl Vincent Lalduhawma Jonathan FernandesRajasthan United Gautam Virwani Jaskaranpreet SinghNamdhari Bhupinder Singh Hardik BhattSreenidi Deccan Sebastian GutierrezDempo Halicharan NarzaryDiamond Harbour Moses Lalrinzuala Gokulam Kerala
Clean sheets RankPlayerTeamClean sheets1 Ashish SibiDempo4 Ranit Sarkar Shillong Lajong3 Shibinraj KunniyilGokulam Kerala3 Bhabindra Malla ThakuriRajasthan United Siwel Rymbai Shillong Lajong6 ZothanmawiaChanmari2 Niraj KumarNamdhari Dheeraj SinghDiamond Harbour Furqan Ahmad DarReal Kashmir Kamaljit SinghSreenidi Deccan
Attendance
Awards Player of the matchMatch no.PlayerTeamMatch no.PlayerTeamMatch no.PlayerTeam1 Nishan Singh Namdhari2 ZothanmawiaChanmari3 Fabrice KahSreenidi Deccan4 Sebastian GuiterrezDempo5 Amadou SoukounaRajasthan United 6 Vincent LalduhawmaAizawl7 Niraj KumarNamdhari8 Joao Vitor MoraisChanmari9 Hugo DíazDiamond Harbour10 Phrangki BuamShillong Lajong11 Marcus JosephDempo12 Amadou Soukouna (2)Rajasthan United13 Ahteeb Ahmad DarReal Kashmir14 Hardik BhattSreenidi Deccan15 Siwel RymbaiShillong Lajong16 Amadou Soukouna (3)Rajasthan United17 Phrangki Buam (2)Shillong Lajong18 Hadi IdrissouSreenidi Deccan19 Shibinraj KunniyilGokulam Kerala20 Antonio MoyanoDiamond Harbour21 LaldawngzualaAizawl22 Niraj Kumar (2)Namdhari23 Hadi Idrissou (2)Sreenidi Deccan24 Abhishek AmbekarRajasthan United25 Treimiki LamurongShillong Lajong26 Rahul RajuGokulam Kerala27 Amadou Soukouna (4)Rajasthan United28 Kamaljit SinghSreenidi Deccan29 Hugo Díaz (2)Diamond Harbour30 Bidyashagar SinghNamdhari
See also Men 2025–26 Indian Super League (Tier I) 2025–26 I-League 2 (Tier III) 2025–26 I-League 3 (Tier IV) 2025–26 Indian State Leagues (Tier V) 2025–26 AIFF Super Cup 2025 Durand Cup 2026 Reliance Foundation Development League Women 2025–26 Indian Women's League (Tier I) 2025–26 Indian Women's League 2 (Tier II)
References