The Indian Football League (IFL) 2026-27 will be the competition's second iteration since rebranding from I-League, with 11 teams set to battle to become the fourth side in history to earn promotion to the Indian Super League (ISL), the top division, next year. Diamond Harbour FC won the league last season, but they won’t be able to participate in the ISL because they failed to pay participation fees and were subsequently relegated. Two-time winners of this league, Goan giants Churchill Brothers, have also entered the top-flight after acquiring the licence of Jamshedpur FC. However, the IFL will have fresh faces and two new venues for the upcoming season after several clubs obtained the licence of former participants in the league.
Nagaland United and Samleshwari FC are the two new additions after they acquired ṭhe licences of former winners Aizawl FC and Delhi FC, respectively, to compete in the league. I-League 2 or third division winners FC Bengaluru United earned promotion to the second division and will also make their debut. Kolkata giants Mohammedan SC became the first side to get demoted from ISL after relegation came into effect last season. The Black Panthers will fight it out in the Indian Football League again this season to get promoted back to the top flight. The IFL 2026-27 season will kick off on Friday, 30 October 2026, with the first phase running until 10 January 2027.
IFL 2026-27 Teams and their Venues
Shillong Lajong - SSA Stadium, Shillong
Nagaland United Sports Club - Chümoukedima Football Stadium, Dimapur
Mohammedan Sporting Club - Naihati Football Stadium, Naihati
Gokulam Kerala FC - EMS Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode
Samleshwari FC - Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, Ranchi
Rajasthan United - Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium, Jaipur
Dempo Sports Club - Fatorda Stadium, Margao
FC Bengaluru United - Bangalore Football Stadium, Bangalore
Sreenidi Deccan - Deccan Arena, Hyderabad
Chanmari FC - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl
Real Kashmir - TRC Stadium, Srinagar
Full fixture list of the IFL 2026-27 Season First Phase:
October 2026
Friday, 30 October 2026
Real Kashmir FC vs Nagaland United - TRC Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 31 October 2026
Mohammedan SC vs Shillong Lajong - Naihati Football Stadium (16:00)
Gokulam Kerala vs Samleshwari FC - EMS Corporation Stadium (18:30)
November 2026
Sunday, 1 November 2026
Rajasthan United vs Sreenidi Deccan - Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium (16:00)
Dempo SC vs FC Bengaluru United - Fatorda Stadium (18:30)
Thursday, 5 November 2026
Samaleswari SC vs Dempo SC - Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium (18:30)
Friday, 6 November 2026
FC Bengaluru United vs Mohammedan SC - Bangalore Football Stadium (16:00)
Shillong Lajong vs Chanmari FC - SSA Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 7 November 2026
Rajasthan United vs Gokulam Kerala - Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium (16:00)
Real Kashmir vs Sreenidi Deccan - TRC Stadium (18:30)
Friday, 13 November 2026
Shillong Lajong vs Sreenidi Deccan - SSA Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 14 November 2026
FC Bengaluru United vs Real Kashmir - Bangalore Football Stadium (16:00)
Nagaland United vs Gokulam Kerala - Chümoukedima Football Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 15 November 2026
Dempo SC vs Chanmari FC - Fatorda Stadium (16:00)
Samaleswari SC vs Rajasthan United - Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium (18:30)
Wednesday, 18 November 2026
FC Bengaluru United vs Sreenidi Deccan - Bangalore Football Stadium (18:30)
Thursday, 19 November 2026
Dempo SC vs Shillong Lajong - Fatorda Stadium (16:00)
Samaleswari SC vs Nagaland United - Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium (18:30)
Friday, 20 November 2026
Rajasthan United vs Chanmari FC - Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium (16:00)
Mohammedan SC vs Gokulam Kerala - Naihati Football Stadium (18:30)
Monday, 23 November 2026
Real Kashmir vs Dempo SC - TRC Stadium (18:30)
Tuesday, 24 November 2026
Samaleswari SC vs FC Bengaluru United - Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium (16:00)
Sreenidi Deccan vs Chanmari FC - Deccan Arena (18:30)
Wednesday, 25 November 2026
Mohammedan SC vs Rajasthan United - Naihati Football Stadium (16:00)
Shillong Lajong vs Nagaland United - SSA Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 29 November 2026
Shillong Lajong vs Rajasthan United - SSA Stadium (18:30)
Monday, 30 November 2026
Sreenidi Deccan vs Gokulam Kerala - Deccan Arena (16:00)
Nagaland United vs Dempo SC - Chümoukedima Football Stadium (18:30)
December 2026
Tuesday, 1 December 2026
Real Kashmir vs Samaleswari SC - TRC Stadium (16:00)
Chanmari FC vs Mohammedan SC - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (18:30)
Monday, 7 December 2026
Chanmari FC vs Nagaland United - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (18:30)
Tuesday, 8 December 2026
Dempo SC vs Rajasthan United - Fatorda Stadium (16:00)
Gokulam Kerala vs Real Kashmir - EMS Corporation Stadium (18:30)
Wednesday, 9 December 2026
FC Bengaluru United vs Shillong Lajong - Bangalore Football Stadium (16:00)
Mohammedan SC vs Samaleswari SC - Naihati Football Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 13 December 2026
Samaleswari SC vs Shillong Lajong - Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium (18:30)
Monday, 14 December 2026
Rajasthan United vs FC Bengaluru United - Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium (16:00)
Real Kashmir vs Mohammedan SC - TRC Stadium (18:30)
Tuesday, 15 December 2026
Chanmari FC vs Gokulam Kerala - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (16:00)
Nagaland United vs Sreenidi Deccan - Chümoukedima Football Stadium (18:30)
Friday, 18 December 2026
FC Bengaluru United vs Chanmari FC - Bangalore Football Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 19 December 2026
Gokulam Kerala vs Shillong Lajong - EMS Corporation Stadium (16:00)
Nagaland United vs Mohammedan SC - Chümoukedima Football Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 20 December 2026
Real Kashmir vs Rajasthan United - TRC Stadium (16:00)
Sreenidi Deccan vs Dempo SC - Deccan Arena (18:30)
January 2027
Saturday, 2 January 2027
Chanmari FC vs Real Kashmir - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 3 January 2027
Sreenidi Deccan vs Samaleswari SC - Deccan Arena (16:00)
FC Bengaluru United vs Gokulam Kerala - Bangalore Football Stadium (18:30)
Monday, 4 January 2027
Mohammedan SC vs Dempo SC - Naihati Football Stadium (16:00)
Nagaland United vs Rajasthan United - Chümoukedima Football Stadium (18:30)
Friday, 8 January 2027
Chanmari FC vs Samaleswari SC - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 9 January 2027
Dempo SC vs Gokulam Kerala - Fatorda Stadium (16:00)
Nagaland United vs FC Bengaluru United - Chümoukedima Football Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 10 January 2027
Sreenidi Deccan vs Mohammedan SC - Deccan Arena (16:00)
Shillong Lajong vs Real Kashmir - SSA Stadium (18:30)