The delayed 2025–26 I-League 3 season is set to kick off on 27th April 2026, with 20 teams vying for the two promotion spots for I-League 2 next season. This is the third installment of the fourth division of the men’s football league system in the country. The competing clubs are mainly the winners, runners-up, and third-place teams from their respective state leagues. The two relegated clubs from I-League 2, TRAU and KLASA, are also among them. The sides are divided into four groups with teams playing each other once in a single-round robin format. The winners and runners-up from each group, eight in total, will qualify for the playoff stage, where the teams to be promoted will be determined.
Group A consists of ARA FC, FC Raengdai, Mawlai SC, Sikkim Brotherhood and Sunrise Club, with their games hosted in a centralised venue at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal, Manipur. SAI Turf Ground is the stadium where Group B games will be held, with Salgaocar, Mumbai FC, Samaleswari, Zinc FA and TRAU part of it. Diamond Rock, Chhaygaon FC, Godavari Legends, KLASA and Kuppuraj FC are in Group C with their games held in Mulna Stadium in Balaghat. Meanwhile, Group D consists of Baghpat FC, FC Agniputhra, New Friends, Royal Rangers and Techtro Swades United and they will be playing their games in Dravid Padukone CSE Arena.
2025–26 I-League 3 Teams
TRAU - Manipur
Royal Rangers - Delhi
Diamond Rock - Madhya Pradesh
Kuppuraj FC - Pondicherry
ARA FC - Gujarat
KLASA - Manipur
Sunrise Club - Odisha
New Friends - Chhattisgarh
Zinc FA - Rajasthan
Techtro Swades United - Himachal Pradesh
Mawlai SC - Meghalaya
FC Agniputhra - Karnataka
Samaleswari - Odisha
Sikkim Brotherhood - Sikkim
FC Raengdai - Manipur
Godavari Legends - Andhra Pradesh
Salgaocar - Goa
Mumbay FC - Mumbai
Chhaygaon FC - Assam
Baghpat FC - Uttar Pradesh
2025–26 I-League 3 Groups and Fixtures
Group A
ARA FC ( Gujarat SFA Club Championship 2024 winners)
FC Raengdai (Manipur Premier League 2024-25 winners)
Mawlai SC (Meghalaya State League 2024 winners)
Sikkim Brotherhood (Sikkim Football League 2024 runners-up)
Sunrise Club ( FAO League 2024 winners)
Fixtures
Monday, 27 April 2026
FC Raengdai vs ARA FC (09:00)
Mawlai SC vs Sikkim Brotherhood (15:00)
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Sunrise Club vs Mawlai SC (09:00)
Sikkim Brotherhood vs ARA FC (15:00)
Friday, 1 May 2026
Sikkim Brotherhood vs FC Raengdai (09:00)
Sunrise Club vs ARA FC (15:00)
Sunday, 3 May 2026
ARA FC vs Mawlai SC (09:00)
FC Raengdai vs Sunrise Club (15:00)
Tuesday, 5 May 2026
Sunrise Club vs Sikkim Brotherhood (09:00)
Mawlai SC vs FC Raengdai (15:00)
Group B
Salgaocar (Goa Professional League 2024-25 third-place)
Mumbai FC (Maharashtra State Senior Men's Football League 2024-25 winners)
Samaleswari (TBC)
TRAU (2024-25 I-League 2 relegated club)
Zinc FA (R-League A Division 2024-25 winners)
Fixtures
Tuesday, 28 April 2026
TRAU vs Mumbai FC (09:00)
Samaleswari vs Zinc FA (15:00)
Thursday, 30 April 2026
Salgaocar vs Samaleswari (09:00)
Zinc FA vs Mumbai FC (15:00)
Saturday, 2 May 2026
Zinc FA vs TRAU (09:00)
Salgaocar vs Mumbai FC (15:00)
Monday, 4 May 2026
Mumbai FC vs Samaleswari (09:00)
TRAU vs Salgaocar (15:00)
Wednesday, 6 May 2025
Salgaocar vs Zinc FA (09:00)
Samaleswari vs TRAU (15:00)
Group C
Diamond Rock (Madhya Pradesh Premier League 2024-25 winners)
Chhaygaon FC (Assam State Premier League 2024-25 winners)
Godavari Legends (AP Super Cup 2025 winners)
KLASA (2024-25 I-League 2 relegated club)
Kuppuraj FC (Pondicherry Men's League 2024 winners)
Fixtures
Monday, 27 April 2026
Diamond Rock vs KLASA (09:00)
Kuppuraj FC vs Chhaygaon FC (16:00)
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Godavari Legends vs Kuppuraj FC (09:00)
Chhaygaon FC vs KLASA (16:00)
Friday, 1 May 2026
Chhaygaon FC vs Diamond Rock (09:00)
Godavari Legends vs KLASA (16:00)
Sunday, 3 May 2026
KLASA vs Kuppuraj FC (09:00)
Diamond Rock vs Godavari Legends (16:00)
Tuesday, 5 May 2026
Godavari Legends vs Chhaygaon FC (09:00)
Kuppuraj FC vs Diamond Rock (16:00)
Group D
Baghpat FC (TBC)
FC Agniputhra (BDFA Super Division 2024-25 winners)
New Friends (Chhattisgarh State Men's Football League Championship 2024 winners)
Royal Rangers (Delhi Premier League 2024-25 third place)
Techtro Swades United (TBC)
Fixtures
Monday, 27 April 2026
FC Agniputhra vs Techtro Swades United (09:00)
Royal Rangers vs Baghpat FC (16:00)
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
New Friends vs Royal Rangers (09:00)
Baghpat FC vs Techtro Swades United (16:00)
Friday, 1 May 2026
Baghpat FC vs FC Agniputhra (09:00)
New Friends vs Techtro Swades United (16:00)
Sunday, 3 May 2026
Techtro Swades United vs Royal Rangers (09:00)
FC Agniputhra vs New Friends (16:00)
Tuesday, 5 May 2026
New Friends vs Baghpat FC (09:00)
Royal Rangers vs FC Agniputhra (16:00)
