The Indian Football League 2026 entered the deciding period for the delayed season with the Promotion Round and the Relegation Round now set with the conclusion of the First Round that started back in February this year. After nine games in the opening round, the top six teams have been confirmed to qualify for the promotion round to decide the top-placed team winning the title and making it to the ISL, while the bottom four sides enter the relegation round. As Churchill Brothers have been relegated to the I-League 2 after they refused to participate this season, only the bottom-placed side will be relegated. Like the First Round, each team will play each other once, with teams in the promotion round having five games each, while the relegation round will have two games each for every side involved. The games of the relegation round will be played in a centralised venue in Deccan Arena. All points from the First Round will transfer in these rounds, which will be played from 24th April to 17th May 2026.
Promotion Round Qualified Teams
Diamond Harbour FC (Pos: 1, Pts: 22)
Diamond Harbour FC looks to create more history with a third straight promotion in the Indian men’s football league pyramid by winning the Indian Football League 2026 and reaching the ultimate stage, the Indian Super League (ISL). It will be the epitome of the incredible journey they started after being founded only six years ago in 2020, after winning the I-League 3 in 2024-25 and then the I-League 2 last season. Now, the first division football is also within their reach as they enjoy a five-point lead at the top after the conclusion of the first phase. Despite losing their season opener, the side dominated the stage with seven wins in nine games and will look to carry the momentum into the promotion round. The Harbour Boys are on the verge of creating an almost unprecedented feat that will be remembered long in the Indian football circuit.
Shillong Lajong (Pos: 2, Pts: 17)
Taking the second spot on the table after the first nine games of the season, Shillong Lajong have a mountain to climb if they are to displace Diamond Harbour from the top spot. Nevertheless, the mountainous club has experienced an excellent campaign to be among the sides battling for promotion, collecting five wins in the opening stage and suffering just two losses. They have the second-best attack in the league with 16 goals, six fewer than the table toppers, but have conceded three fewer goals, which is the second-best defensive record in the league. The Meghalaya-based club has been rejuvenated again after regaining promotion to the second division in 2023 and will hope for a strong finish to build inspiration for future qualification to the ISL should they miss out this time.
Rajasthan United (Pos: 3, Pts: 17)
Collecting the same points as Shillong Lajong, but placed third due to an inferior goal difference, Rajasthan United also have a lot to do to keep their hopes of earning promotion to the ISL alive, having been in the second division for five seasons now. Similar to the rest of the pack, the Desert Warriors need the top two on the table to slip off and make sure they win the majority of the games in the promotion round, with defeats to be avoided at all costs to stand any chance. Apart from the two defeats against Aizawl FC and Sreenidi Deccan, they have maintained a healthy run of form with four wins in their last six games and will be desperate to keep their momentum in the deciding round of the competition.
Sreenidi Deccan (Pos: 4, Pts: 15)
Sreenidi Deccan has once again come into the conversation of winning the now Indian Football League title after an underwhelming season last time out, where they finished a disappointing ninth on the table, avoiding relegation by seven points. However, the Deccan Warriors are seven points away from the top spot and face an uphill task to earn promotion from here. Their season has also been plagued by inconsistency, despite losing just two games in the First Round. Sreenidi has been a contender for the second division title and in the mix for promotion since joining the league in the 2021-22 season, going close to achieving it several times. However, they have failed so far and look unlikely to break that barren run this time out.
Chanmari FC (Pos: 5, Pts: 11)
It has been a wonderful season for another promoted side from I-League 2, other than Diamond Harbour FC, who also find themselves in the championship round in Chanmari FC. Founded in 2011, the side from Mizoram had an excellent debut campaign in the third division, where they stunned everyone by finishing ahead of experienced teams like Sporting Goa and Bengaluru United to grab one of the promotion spots. Now in the second division, they once again finished ahead of many established sides in the first round to be in the fight for ISL promotion. They picked up massive results like beating Sreenidi Deccan and also making a late revival to avoid dropping into the bottom four, who are set to play the relegation round. Regardless of the outcome of the season, Chanmari FC has produced a fairytale story.
Dempo SC (Pos: 6, Pts: 9)
Record winners Dempo SC just about sneaked into the promotion round by grabbing the final spot ahead of Aizawl FC, who have an inferior goal difference, having scored and conceded an equal number of goals. The Goan side picked up just nine points from the first nine games, managing just two wins that came only in April 2026 after going the first six games winless. They conceded four defeats, including in the final first-round game to Rajasthan United, which ended their two-game winning run instantly. However, Dempo SC no longer fear relegation now that they are in the promotion round and will hope to improve their form.
Promotion Round Fixtures
Friday, 24 April 2026
Rajasthan United vs Sreenidi Deccan - Namdhari Football Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 25 April 2026
Chanmari FC vs Diamond Harbour FC - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 26 April 2026
Shillong Lajong vs Dempo SC - SSA Stadium (18:30)
Friday, 1 May 2026
Rajasthan United vs Dempo SC - Namdhari Football Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 2 May 2026
Shillong Lajong vs Chanmari FC - SSA Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 3 May 2026
Diamond Harbour FC vs Sreenidi Deccan - Kalyani Stadium (18:30)
Friday, 8 May 2026
Diamond Harbour vs Rajasthan United - Kalyani Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 9 May 2026
Chanmari FC vs Dempo SC - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (18:30)
Sunday, 10 May 2026
Sreenidi Deccan vs Shillong Lajong - Deccan Arena (18:30)
Friday, 15 May 2026
Shillong Lajong vs Rajasthan United - SSA Stadium (18:30)
Saturday, 16 May 2026
Sreenidi Deccan vs Chanmari FC - Deccan Arena (18:30)
Sunday, 17 May 2026
Dempo SC vs Diamond Harbour - PJN Stadium (18:30)
TBD
Diamond Harbour vs Shillong Lajong - Kalyani Stadium (TBD)
Dempo SC vs Sreenidi Deccan - PJN Stadium (TBD)
Rajasthan United vs Chanmari FC - Namdhari Football Stadium (TBD)
Relegation Round Qualified Teams
Aizawl FC (Pos: 7, Pts: 9)
Having flirted with relegation last season, Aizawl FC once again find themselves in the dog fight to beat the drop. They failed to get into the top six in the First Round due to their leakiest defence in the league, which conceded 22 goals in just nine games, while suffering from poor form, with only a draw and three defeats in their last four games. Although they started the season unbeaten, their performance quickly declined, and now they are just two points away from entering the relegation zone. They are facing the teams they previously failed to beat once again in the relegation round, hoping to maintain survival like last time, where they beat the drop by two points as well. Having earned entry in the 2015-16 season and famously winning this trophy the very next campaign, the People's Club won’t be happy to end their stay in the division just yet.
Real Kashmir FC (Pos: 8, Pts: 8)
Having pushed for promotion last time, Real Kashmir FC are embroiled in a race for survival this season after finishing eighth in the First Round, which let them enter the relegation round. The Snow Leopards had a terrible campaign, where they failed to register even a single win in the first seven games of the season, including losing four games in a row in a period from late March to early April 2026. Then they had a reversal of fortunes as they picked up back-to-back victories in their final two games in the First Round, beating fellow strugglers Gokulam Kerala in an eight-goal thriller and then stunning Sreenidi Deccan with a first clean sheet win, to keep them two places above demotion. Getting the winning form just before the relegation round might just be the momentum they needed to guarantee survival.
Gokulam Kerala (Pos: 9, Pts: 8)
A rather shocking name that has been enlisted in the relegation battle and not for the promotion fight to ISL, is that of two-time winners Gokulam Kerala. The Malabarians picked up just two wins and suffered five defeats in a miserable showing in the First Round, something which is unexpected from a club of this calibre, placing them just above the relegation zone in ninth. Their negative goal difference also forced them to slide further down the table. The team was severely affected by the season delay, with a lot of new signings not staying with the team and relegation will only compound misery for the side that was touted to earn promotion to ISL eventually. However, the Kerala-based team has an opportunity to turn their season around if they win the last two matches of the season in the relegation round to ensure survival.
Namdhari FC (Pos: 10, Pts: 7)
The side with the biggest chance to go down to the third division is the bottom-placed Namdhari FC, which will be detrimental for the club that just came into the league as a franchise entry only two seasons ago. Nothing has gone right for the Punjab-based side this season, picking up just a single win. While they conceded just a single loss in the first six games of the season, they fell to three straight defeats in the final games of the First Round, widening the lines on their forehead. The side has conceded 18 goals so far, with 11 of those leaked in those losses.
Namdhari now must win the final two games of the season in the relegation round in a miraculous turnaround and hope others stumble in their way, as they don’t have destiny in their hands, to prevent the inevitable.
Relegation Round Fixtures
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Aizawl FC vs Namdhari FC - Deccan Arena (18:30)
Thursday, 30 April 2026
Real Kashmir FC vs Gokulam Kerala - Deccan Arena (18:30)
Monday, 4 May 2026
Real Kashmir FC vs Namdhari FC - Deccan Arena (18:30)
Tuesday, 5 May 2026
Gokulam Kerala vs Aizawl FC - Deccan Arena (18:30)
TBD
Aizawl FC vs Real Kashmir FC - Deccan Arena (TBD)
Namdhari FC vs Gokulam Kerala - Deccan Arena (TBD)
