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 third and fourth tiers during a period of unprecedented governance uncertainty . At the heart of the decision lies the prolonged impasse surrounding the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). With the Supreme Court halting the finalization of a new MRA pending constitutional clarity, the 2025–26 domestic calendar was pushed into limbo. The Indian Super League was temporarily put on hold, triggering a cascading delay across all levels of the pyramid.
By the time government intervention and a ₹25 crore central funding pool brought clarity, the season window had shrunk dramatically. Running two separate national divisions below the I-League was no longer feasible. The AIFF’s response was pragmatic: merge I-League 2 and I-League 3 into a single competition featuring 40 teams across five geographic zones.
Why the Zonal Format Makes Sense
For clubs operating at the lower rungs of Indian football, financial survival often outweighs sporting ambition. The zonal structure directly addresses this reality. By clustering teams regionally, the AIFF has significantly reduced travel costs, logistical complexity, and operational strain long-standing barriers for semi-professional clubs trying to survive a national calendar.
Each zone will feature eight teams playing a single round-robin at centralized venues, with group winners and select runners-up advancing to a national final round. From there, promotion to the I-League remains intact, preserving the principle of merit-based progression despite the compressed format .
Crucially, the model keeps the pyramid wide. Forty clubs across India will continue to engage in national competition rather than being pushed back into state leagues due to scheduling constraints.
A Diverse and Competitive Field
The merged division is a mix of legacy institutions, ambitious new projects, and consistent state-league performers. Former I-League clubs like NEROCA FC, TRAU FC, United SC, and Sporting Clube de Goa bring pedigree and expectation. At the same time, newer entrants such as Downtown Heroes (J&K), Sikkim Brotherhood, and MYJ–GMSC reflect the expanding geographic footprint of Indian football. Notably, relegated I-League sides Delhi FC and Sporting Bengaluru also feature in this tier after their appeals were dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport due to procedural lapses. Their inclusion reinforces the AIFF’s intent to enforce sporting accountability, even amid legal turbulence.
For many clubs, the 2025–26 season is not just about promotion, but survival and visibility maintaining relevance in a crowded, uncertain football ecosystem.
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With the AIFF assuming direct control of league operations for the season, financial sustainability has become a central concern. While the top-tier ISL consumes the largest share of central funding, zonal subsidies for the merged division will cover refereeing, venue costs, and essential logistics.
This model, though far from ideal, prevents a complete collapse of the middle tier and ensures that clubs are not forced to withdraw due to financial exhaustion. However, it also underlines the urgent need for decentralized commercial strategies, regional sponsorships, digital streaming, and local fan engagement—to reduce long-term dependence on federation funding.
The restructuring also aligns with AIFF’s broader Vision 2047 roadmap. Participation in national leagues is now closely tied to academy accreditation, youth teams, and safeguarding compliance. Clubs in the merged division are required to demonstrate investment in grassroots development, ensuring the pyramid feeds the national ecosystem rather than merely hosting short-term projects.
Policy discussions around SAFF player eligibility and reduced foreign quotas further highlight an intent to prioritise domestic and regional talent at this level, where Indian strikers and young prospects often struggle for minutes in higher divisions.
A Temporary Fix, or a Template?
While officially a one-season solution, the I-League 2–3 merger raises larger questions about the future shape of Indian football’s lower tiers. A zonal national division may well prove more sustainable than a fully national home-and-away league for clubs with limited resources. The challenge for the AIFF will be to retain the inclusivity and financial logic of this model even if the pyramid re-expands in future seasons.
The 2025–26 I-League 2–3 merger is a compromise forged in crisis, but not without merit. It keeps the domestic pyramid alive, protects dozens of clubs from disappearing, and preserves a competitive pathway during one of Indian football’s most unstable periods.
Whether it becomes a one-off anomaly or a blueprint for long-term reform will depend not on administrators, but on how these 40 clubs compete, survive, and connect with their local football communities over the coming months.
