India’s second-tier football competition, the I-League, will return in a scaled-down format on February 21 with ten clubs confirming participation for the 2025–26 season.
The campaign, delayed by more than two months due to governance uncertainty in Indian football, marks a critical transition phase as the league moves towards a club-owned structure from next season.
Eight of the ten clubs have already paid their share of around ₹20 lakh towards the league’s operating budget, which is pegged at ₹3.25 crore. Aizawl FC and Chanmari FC have also confirmed participation and are expected to complete the payment process shortly.
The clubs that have paid so far are Diamond Harbour, Real Kashmir, Gokulam Kerala, Rajasthan United, Dempo SC, Namdhari FC, Shillong Lajong and Sreenidi Deccan. Diamond Harbour of West Bengal and Chanmari FC of Mizoram were promoted from the I-League Second Division last season, giving the 2025–26 edition a mix of established names and new entrants.
The ₹20 lakh contribution per club represents a 60 percent share of the league’s operating costs, with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) covering the remaining 40 percent. This is a significant shift from the earlier commercial model, where most operational costs were borne by the league’s commercial partners.
One notable absentee from the confirmed list is Goa-based Churchill Brothers, who are unlikely to take part in the league. The club had originally been declared champions of the 2024–25 I-League and was set for promotion to the Indian Super League (ISL), but a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later awarded the title to Inter Kashi, which was subsequently promoted instead.
Churchill Brothers challenged the decision in the Delhi High Court, and the case remains pending. With no clarity on their league status and the truncated nature of the season, the club has so far not committed to participation. The absence of Churchill, one of India’s most successful traditional clubs, underlines the broader instability that has engulfed Indian football over the past two months.
A league caught in transition
The I-League’s delay was linked directly to the expiry of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which had controlled the commercial operations of Indian football for more than a decade. With the MRA ending on December 8, both the ISL and I-League were forced into suspension until the Sports Ministry intervened to ensure the competitions resumed.
The ISL will restart on February 14, with the I-League following a week later.
Beyond the immediate season, the I-League is also set for a structural overhaul. The competition is expected to be rechristened as the Indian Football League (IFL), with clubs becoming majority stakeholders in the new venture. A resolution to that effect was passed in a meeting between club representatives and AIFF officials on January 28, although it still requires formal approval from the federation’s Executive Committee.
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If implemented, this would mark a historic shift in Indian football governance, moving the league from a federation-controlled model to a club-driven ecosystem.
For the first time, the I-League will operate under a dual-body governance system. A Governing Council will serve as the league’s top decision-making authority, while a Management Committee will handle day-to-day operations. Both bodies will include representatives from clubs, commercial partners and the AIFF, a move designed to improve transparency and stakeholder involvement.
This framework is seen as a trial run for the proposed club-owned league structure from next season.
Competition format
Despite being truncated, the I-League 2025–26 will follow a two-phase format designed to maintain sporting integrity.
In the first phase, all ten clubs will compete in a single round-robin league, playing a mix of home and away matches. The results from this phase will determine seeding for the second stage.
In the second phase, the clubs will be split into two groups. The top half will contest the championship round, where teams will again play each other once, carrying forward their points from phase one. The team finishing with the highest aggregate will be crowned champion.
The remaining clubs will enter a relegation round, also played as a single round-robin. The bottom two teams from this group will be relegated to I-League 2.
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While the 2025–26 I-League may lack the scale and financial backing of previous editions, its importance lies in keeping India’s football pyramid intact during a period of institutional change.
For clubs, players and administrators alike, this season is less about silverware and more about stability bridging Indian football from an uncertain present to what many hope will be a more sustainable, club-driven future.
