The delayed ISL 2025-26 season got off to a promising start, with the opening month witnessing early pace setters for the title and those who would be looking down the table with relegation now confirmed this season. More clarity on each side will come in the second month of the truncated campaign, as March 2026 brings a flurry of unmissable fixtures that will prove crucial for the season. Mohun Bagan looks to be the champions-elect again, but their fortunes could change while arch-rivals East Bengal also look to be in the mix. FC Goa and Mumbai City can spoil the party, whereas surprise names could be in a relegation dog fight. 38 games will be played this month, but only five fixtures seem to stand out among the rest.
Here are the top five ISL 2025-26 games to watch in March 2026:
East Bengal vs FC Goa - Gameweek 4 (5 March 2026)
Under three months after meeting in the AIFF Super Cup final, East Bengal and FC Goa will lock horns again, this time in the 2025-26 Indian Super League season. For the Red and Gold, it will be more than a revenge-seeking match of the showpiece, which they narrowly lost on penalties, after their bright start was extinguished in the previous game. Oscar Bruzon’s men started the season on a high, recording big wins against Northeast United and Sporting Club Delhi, making them early title favourites. It seemed they would make it three out of three when they took the lead against Jamshedpur FC, but a second-half collapse allowed the visitors to clinch a 2-1 comeback win, displacing them from the top of the table. East Bengal will be desperate to get back to winning ways in this fixture, but their terrible record against the Gaurs makes it a very difficult task.
The Kolkata giants have won just a single game in the 10 meetings against Manolo Marquez’s side and have lost the last six games on the trot, in addition to the Super Cup defeat. This will sound charming to FC Goa’s ears, who have managed to score in each of those meetings with 20 goals in total, with the goalless draw in the cup final last time the only instance they failed to find the net. The Gaurs will also say that the fixture comes at an ideal time when they have picked up the necessary momentum after a disappointing 1-1 draw against promoted side Inter Kashi in the season opener. The side picked up back-to-back wins against Mohammedan SC and Sporting Delhi following that result, keeping a clean sheet in both. Dejan Drazic scored the game-winner in both, adding to his late equaliser against Kashi, and is raring to net for the fourth consecutive game to lift Goa to the top of the table.
Mohun Bagan vs Odisha - Gameweek 4 (6 March 2026)
To be played in a half-closed Salt Lake Stadium for fans' inappropriate behaviour, table toppers Mohun Bagan will welcome Odisha FC in the dubbed ‘Sergio Lobera derby’ in the fourth straight home game of the season. The Spaniard will face his former employees, whom he left to join the Mariners, only in December of last year, amid uncertainty regarding the future of ISL. It is safe to say the two-time Shield winner has settled well in his new job and has already made the Green and Maroons seeking a third consecutive Shield by becoming early table toppers. The side has picked up maximum points from the first three games and produced a statement victory as they demolished local rivals Mohammedan SC 5-1, despite star signing Robson Robinho going off injured early, with his availability being in doubt for this encounter. Despite the situation, Bagan will eye nothing less than three points against Lobera’s ex-side to solidify their place further.
Odisha FC is the club that was hit the hardest due to the ISL crisis, shutting down operations temporarily, only confirming their participation this season at the last moment. Even then, their season got delayed by a week due to pending stadium availability, which they finally got access to just five days before their first match. This game against Mohun Bagan also got a venue change because of these problems. The Kalinga Warriors lost a big chunk of the squad and top players, including their star manager, leaving them with just one foreigner to count on. Despite that, the Kalinga warriors have washed away narratives of them struggling with such a short preseason, as they picked up solid draws against Inter Kashi and Chennaiyin FC. Odisha FC will now dare to take their first three points of the season against the high-flying leaders, managed by their former boss, but yet to win against the Mariners at Salt Lake in ISL.
Kerala Blasters vs Chennaiyin FC - Gameweek 4 (7 March 2026)
The Southern derby between Kerala Blasters and Chennaiyin FC will be more than a clash between two rivals in the ISL this season, as a victory will be crucial for either of the side from slumping towards the relegation zone early. Both clubs lost key foreigners and had to scramble in the final weeks leading up to the campaign to organise a squad with a short, disrupted preseason. The effect of it has been seen with the Marina Machans sitting in 11th and the Tuskers a place behind. Visitors Chennaiyin FC opened their account with a 1-1 draw against Odisha FC after consecutive defeats to start the season, but the home side Kerala Blasters recorded their third straight loss with a 2-1 defeat to promoted side, Inter Kashi.
They are among the three sides yet to register a point this season, with only goal-difference separating them from the bottom of the table. The Tuskers will be desperate to change that against their rivals at Kochi Stadium, finally, a settlement to continue in the venue after the drama before the first home game last month. On the other hand, Chennaiyin FC will hope to build on the point earned in the last game to register their first win of the 2025-26 season and pile more misery on their rivals. However, they have not won at the venue since their first ISL meeting there in the inaugural edition of the competition, giving the host some confidence.
Bengaluru FC vs Mohun Bagan - Gameweek 5 (14 March 2026)
The trip to Kanteerava Stadium in the second week of March 2026 will bring uncomfortable memories for Mohun Bagan, as they lost 3-0 in the early stages of last season. It proved to be a turning point as the Mariners improved significantly from that loss and went on to lift a second ISL Winner’s Shield in a row. They will seek revenge for that loss after kicking off their new era under Lobera in grand style, continuing their winning streak in the campaign. Overall, Mohun Bagan carries a healthy record at the venue, having won the meeting in 2024, 4-0, which eventually helped them on the course of claiming their first Shield honour. It will be the first away game of the season for Lobera’s men and they hope no surprises occur against a team that has made an inconsistent start to the campaign.
Bengaluru FC lost for the third time against Punjab FC in a year in all competitions, after also suffering elimination in the Super Cup in the same fixture, going down 2-0 at home. It was their first defeat in only their third game of the campaign after registering a 2-0 win in their season opener against Sporting Delhi, but failing to follow it up, despite taking the lead, in the 1-1 draw against Northeast United. Now, a defeat forces them to pick up momentum again and while they could do it against bottom-placed Mohammedan SC, facing Mohun Bagan in their current devastating form will be an uphill task in itself, despite being at home. However, the team led by Renedy Singh will want to prove doubters wrong and put up a show like last time in the fixture dubbed ‘the Indian El Clásico’.
Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City - Gameweek 6 (20 March 2026)
One of the biggest fixtures in the ISL calendar, regardless of the circumstances, Mohun Bagan will collide with Mumbai City at the Salt Lake Stadium. The two became instant rivals when the Mariners entered the league back in 2020, with the Islanders also playing their first season under City Football Group then and both going head to head for the Shield and Cup. Mumbai City won the initial battle to win the double, while Bagan took revenge four years later in claiming the Shield for the first time. However, that remained their only ISL win to date against the Islanders amid a crucial one, as they lost the Cup final that edition in front of their home fans.
That and the 2-2 draw last season means Mumbai City are undefeated in Salt Lake Stadium in their last two trips to the stadium since their Shield losing match there. However, a lot has changed since then, with Petr Kratky’s men failing to meet the same standard last season and losing the City Football Group ownership altogether due to the ISL delay. So far, the team has not felt the loss so severely this season, staying unbeaten in the first three games of the season with seven points. That said, they are yet to be tested against an elite team and the consecutive Shield winners offer such a challenge at home.
They are also one of the clubs Sergio Lobera managed, guiding them to that double against Mohun Bagan incidentally. The Spaniard is willing to do the same with the Green and Maroons now and defeating one of his former sides to increase the Kolkata giant’s win count in this fixture will be an ideal way to go. However, the Islanders have a bit easier schedule leading up to this clash, welcoming lowly Sporting Delhi at home before travelling to Kalinga Stadium to face Inter Kashi, while the hosts face Odisha FC and then play their first away game against Bengaluru FC.
