Category: Football

Asian youth football is in the middle of its most ambitious structural overhaul in more than six decades. The Asian Football Confederation’s sweeping reforms to the U17 and U20 Asian Cups are not merely administrative adjustments they represent a complete re imagining of how young footballers across 47 member associations are identified, developed, and tested…

When Kerala Blasters confirmed the signing of Rowllin Borges on January 25, 2026, it was more than just another winter-window transfer. It was an admission of where the club had gone wrong and a statement of how it plans to fix it. Over the last 18 months, Kerala Blasters have suffered not from a lack…

The race for the knockout stages of the Santosh Trophy 2025–26 remains delicately poised after a dramatic day of draws ensured that no team was able to pull away in Group B. At the end of Saturday’s action, Kerala and Meghalaya continue to sit joint top with four points each, but Railways and Services are…

Kerala Blasters FC’s decision to mutually terminate the contract of Spanish striker Koldo Obieta is not simply a squad update it is a snapshot of an Indian Super League club fighting to stay financially and structurally afloat amid the deepest crisis the league has ever faced. Obieta’s exit symbolises a strategic realignment driven not by…

Asian club football stands at one of the most consequential crossroads in its modern history. Barely two seasons after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) compressed its premier competition into the newly branded AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE), the governing body is already preparing for another fundamental change an expansion from 24 to 32 clubs. On…

The transformation of Indian football over the past decade has been one of the most striking developments in the country’s sporting landscape. Once marginalised by social barriers, limited infrastructure and negligible commercial interest, the game has now entered a phase of genuine professionalisation. At the heart of this change lies a new kind of partnership…

The Indian women’s football team opened a new chapter under head coach Amelia Valverde with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Swiss club FC Schlieren in a closed-door friendly at the Emirhan Sport Center in Manavgat, Türkiye. The result, achieved through goals from Anju Tamang and Grace Dangmei, not only delivered India’s first win of the…

Indian Football is currently undergoing a challenging period as there are multiple issues at the administrative level in the AIFF (All India Football Federation), alongside financial irregularities. The AIFF, which is the governing body overseeing the sport, is trying hard to fix the age-old problem. Amidst this, there is something to cheer about for football…

When Jamshedpur FC announced the return of Owen Coyle as head coach on January 24, 2026, it was more than a nostalgic reunion. It was a strategic decision taken in the middle of one of the most turbulent periods Indian football has ever faced. With the Indian Super League entering a shortened, high-pressure format and…

Defending champions West Bengal and a quietly efficient Rajasthan continued their winning runs on a dramatic Friday in Group A of the 79th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy Final Round, as late goals, comebacks and missed chances shaped a gripping day of football in Dhakuakhana and Silapathar. While West Bengal edged past a resilient…

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) took a significant step towards securing the future of the Indian Super League (ISL) on Friday by holding a virtual pre-bid conference for the league’s 2025–26 commercial and broadcast rights. The meeting, chaired by AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey and Deputy Secretary General M. Satyanarayan, brought together some of the…

Indian football’s return to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 is far more than a routine continental appearance. For the Blue Tigresses, the opening Group C fixture against Vietnam on March 4, 2026, at Perth Rectangular Stadium (HBF Park) is a decisive inflection point that could define their entire World Cup cycle. The tournament,…

The 79th Santosh Trophy Final Round opened in dramatic fashion in Assam, and from the very first whistle it was clear why Group B has already earned the tag of the “Group of Death.” With Kerala, Punjab, Services, Railways, Meghalaya and Odisha drawn together, this pool carries an unmatched weight of history, tactical variety, and…

As Indian Football prepare to step back onto the continental stage at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Australia, the spotlight is no longer only on players like Manisha Kalyan, Sangita Basfore or Panthoi Chanu. Behind this team sits the most sophisticated coaching structure ever assembled for Indian women’s football a hybrid, high-performance unit…

The 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2025–26 burst into life on Wednesday, January 21, with a high-energy opening day across Dhakuakhana and Silapathar in Assam, setting the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested Final Round. Defending champions West Bengal announced their intent in emphatic fashion, while Tamil Nadu and…

The Indian men’s football team began 2026 with a modest but symbolic rise in the FIFA Rankings, moving up one place to 141st in the latest January update. While the Blue Tigers did not play a single international match since their defeat to Bangladesh in November, the reshuffle in global rankings has still worked in…

A new season of the Santosh Trophy has begun, with 12 teams competing against each other. This year the tournament began on the 21st of January 2026 in Assam. This is the 79th edition of the tournament. The first edition of the Santosh Trophy was played in 1941. In the ongoing edition, there are two…

Bengaluru FC’s decision to appoint Renedy Singh as head coach ahead of the Indian Super League 2025–26 season is far more than a routine managerial change. It is a declaration of intent not about chasing glamour or expensive signings, but about survival, sustainability, and redefining what success means in Indian football’s most turbulent year. Announced…

The 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy is set to kick off on January 21, 2026, with Assam hosting the prestigious tournament for the seventh time in its long and chequered history. As India’s oldest and most storied domestic football competition returns, the focus is not only on silverware but also on how…

Kerala Blasters FC are set to enter the 2025–26 Indian Super League season amid one of the most turbulent logistical phases in the club’s history, with an agreement in place to shift their home matches to the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode. The move, driven by a breakdown in operational confidence at the Jawaharlal Nehru…

The arrival of Inter Kashi in the Indian Super League for the 2025–26 season marks one of the most significant shifts in the geography and narrative of Indian football in recent years. A club rooted in Varanasi, a city better known for its spiritual legacy than sporting ambition, Inter Kashi enter the top tier not…

The 2025–26 Indian Super League season has not even kicked off, yet it is already shaping up to be one of the most disrupted and uneven campaigns in the league’s history. At the centre of this turmoil sits Chennaiyin FC, a two-time champion now facing the very real prospect of beginning its Indian Football season…

As the All India Football Federation (AIFF), along with Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League clubs, moves towards a proposed long-term 20–21 year roadmap for Indian football, the absence of any clear, binding focus on improving the quality of football, competitiveness, and fan engagement remains deeply concerning. Governance structures and ownership models may change, but…

The global story of women’s football is often narrated through dominant federations and powerhouse nations, but its real evolution has been shaped by individuals who navigated its most unstable phases. Few careers reflect this transition better than that of Pamela Conti. Born in Palermo in 1982, Conti’s journey from a teenage prodigy in southern Italy…

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has formally issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the media rights of the 2025–26 Indian Super League (ISL), with February 1 set as the final date for submission of bids for Indian Football. While on the surface this appears to be a routine commercial exercise, the RFP in…

Indian women football team endured a difficult start to their European training camp, going down 0–2 to Metalist 1925 Kharkiv in an international friendly played behind closed doors in Turkiye on Sunday. While the scoreline suggests a competitive contest for much of the match, the overall performance raised serious concerns, particularly in defence, as India…

The 2025–26 season of Indian football stands as one of the most turbulent yet defining periods in the sport’s modern history. Long before a ball is kicked, the campaign has already become a case study in governance under crisis, shaped by commercial collapse, legal intervention, and an urgent need to keep the professional pyramid alive….

The Indian women’s football team has taken an important step in its preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026, departing for a training camp in Türkiye on Thursday, January 15, 2026. With a 26-member squad, the camp marks the beginning of a decisive phase in India’s build-up to the continental showpiece, where the…

The mutual termination of José Manuel ‘Chema’ Núñez Martín, Chema Núñez’s contract with Northeast United FC on January 15, 2026 marked more than the departure of a foreign midfielder. It became a telling reflection of the shifting economic and structural realities of the Indian Super League (ISL) during the 2025–26 season, where ambition was forced…

Manisha Kalyan’s transfer to Alianza Lima in January 2026 is more than just another overseas move by an Indian footballer. It represents a structural shift in how Indian women footballers are positioning their careers and how global clubs are beginning to view Indian talent not as developmental projects, but as ready-made professionals capable of contributing…

The mutual termination of Juan Rodríguez Martínez’s contract with Kerala Blasters FC, announced on January 14, 2026, was officially framed as a pragmatic decision taken in the best interests of both parties. In reality, the Spanish center-back’s return to Europe to join Marbella FC is another stark indicator of how administrative uncertainty in Indian football…

Indian football has suffered a significant continental setback with the confirmation that India will no longer have a direct group-stage slot in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL 2) for the next season. Under the revised AFC slot allocation, both the Indian Super League (ISL) champions and the Super Cup winners will now be forced…

The mutual termination of Jon Miquel Toral Harper’s, or Jon Toral’s, contract with Mumbai City FC on January 14, 2026, marked more than the departure of a high-profile foreign signing. It symbolized a decisive moment of transition for the club and offered a revealing snapshot of how institutional change, economic uncertainty, and player durability intersect…

The confirmation of Iker Guarrotxena’s departure from FC Goa on 15 January 2026 was officially presented as a respectful farewell to a committed professional. The club’s statement praised his fighting spirit and contribution across two stints. Yet, beneath the surface, Guarrotxena’s exit is emblematic of a far more serious issue confronting Indian football, one rooted…

Parth Jindal, owner of Bengaluru FC, has stated that an IPL-style model should be implemented for the Indian Super League (ISL) rather than a free market policy. Parth Jindal, who also owns the Delhi Capitals team in the Women’s Premier League, the Haryana Steelers in the Pro Kabaddi League, and the Soorma Hockey Club in…

The modern evolution of women’s football has been driven not only by players but also by a new generation of coaches equipped with academic grounding, tactical clarity, and institutional resilience. Few figures embody this transformation as comprehensively as Amelia Valverde Villalobos. From shaping Costa Rica’s women’s national identity to delivering historic success in Mexico and…

For decades, Indian football has lived under the shadow of a familiar phrase: “untapped potential.” Repeated often enough to become both cliché and consolation, it reflected a sport long rich in raw talent but poor in structure. As Indian football moves through 2026, however, the conversation is beginning to change. The focus is shifting away…

The Indian Super League (ISL) is set to return on February 14, 2026, but the 2025–26 season will be unlike any other in its history. What was once projected as a stable, commercially driven top-tier football league has instead entered a phase of survival and institutional reset, following months of uncertainty triggered by the expiration…

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2025–26 season, which is India’s most important professional football league, is one of the most exciting and important times in Indian football history. All 14 teams in the league have now officially said they will play after a long wait because of problems with the system, governance, and business. This…

Indian football is going through a tough period as it is staring at an uncertain future due to a lack of coordination and administrative issues at different levels, especially in the men’s event, but when we talk about Indian women’s football, it is showing signs of recovery. The Indian women’s football team’s performance has looked…

After months of uncertainty that threatened to derail India’s top-tier domestic football, the Indian Super League (ISL) has finally begun to take concrete shape for the ISL 2025-26 season in Indian Football. All 14 clubs have confirmed their participation and home venues, clearing a crucial logistical hurdle ahead of the league’s scheduled kickoff on February…

A few days back, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) declared the dates and schedule for the Indian football men’s national side as well as for men’s domestic football matches. Indian football is going through a challenging period, and there is a need to restructure Indian football at the domestic as well as at the…

The Indian Women’s Football team enters 2026 at a pivotal moment in its modern journey, with the Blue Tigresses stepping into an important phase of international preparation through a set of friendly matches in Türkiye. Coming off a historic qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on merit, the national side is now transitioning from…

The 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup represents a defining moment for the Indian Football Women’s National Team, marking a transition from regional relevance to genuine continental ambition. For the first time in modern history, the Blue Tigresses have qualified for the Asian Cup finals through a merit-based route, a milestone that underlines the steady evolution…

Indian football stands at a rare and important crossroads. Between 2024 and early 2026, four national teams the senior women, U20 women, U17 women, and U17 men have qualified for their respective AFC Asian Cups. On paper, this represents one of the most successful qualification cycles in Indian football history. In reality, it has unfolded…

Indian women’s football entered one of its most consequential phases in early 2026, driven by a rare convergence of corporate validation, competitive progress, and institutional introspection. At the centre of this shift stands the landmark three-year sponsorship agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Coca-Cola, the first long-term, dedicated corporate partnership for the…

The confirmation of David Timor’s departure from FC Goa on January 7, 2026, may read like a routine mid-season squad update, but in reality it is anything but Indian football. The mutual parting of ways between the Spanish midfielder and the club is a sharp reflection of the administrative and commercial turmoil that has gripped…

The Indian Super League (ISL) has been trying to improve Indian football since it started in 2014. The league was created to make the sport more professional, popular, and good for business. It was also made to help the company grow over time. Even though it has gotten better over time, people still say it’s…

The merger of I-League 2 and I-League 3 into a single, 40-team zonal competition for the 2025–26 season marks one of the most consequential structural decisions in Indian football in recent years. Born out of administrative necessity rather than long-term planning, the move nevertheless offers a rare opportunity to stabilise and rethink the country’s fragile…