The 2023 Reliance Foundation Development League was the second season of the Reliance Foundation Development League, developmental football league organised by the Reliance Foundation and the AIFF. The season features 59 teams divided into nine regions, each playing around 10 matches during the regional qualifiers held across multiple regions from 27 February to 23 April. 4 teams qualified for the Next Gen Cup to be held in Mumbai.
Bengaluru FC successfully defended their title against Sudeva Delhi FC in the final. Both teams, including Mohun Bagan SG and RFYC, qualified for the Next Gen Cup.
Background Reliance Foundation Youth Sports announced the second season of the RFDL to be started from 27 February with regional qualifiers in Kerala.
Format The teams would predominantly feature U-21 players, with few overage players allowed as well. Participants in the league must have been born on or after January 1, 2002. Each team will play at least 10 matches in the regional qualifiers. A total of 250+ matches will be played in entire league. 20 teams will qualify for the National group stage from the regional qualifiers. The top-four teams will play the National Championship Stage and the 2023 Next Gen Cup.
Teams Teams are divided into 9 zones for the regional qualifiers, each containing 4–8 teams.
State/RegionVenueClubsAssam-MeghalayaMeghalaya Football Ground, ShillongMalki SCMawlai SCNorthEast United FCRangdajied United FCRyntih FCShillong Lajong FCEastBarrackpore Stadium, Barrackpore Kalyani Stadium, Kalyani Naihati Stadium, NaihatiMohun Bagan SGEast Bengal FCJamshedpur FCMohammedan SCNew Alipore Suruchi SanghaOdisha FCUnited SCGoa Monte de Guirim Ground, Guirim SESA Football Ground, Sirsaim Dempo Academy Ground, EllaChurchill Brothers FC GoaDempo SCFC GoaSalgaocar FCSESA FAVelsao SCCKerala Maharajas College Stadium, Ernakulam Panampilly Ground, KochiFC AreekodeGokulam Kerala FCFC Kerala Kerala Blasters FCKovalam FCLIFFAMuthoot FAParappur FCManipur Loitang Football Arena, Imphal Artificial Turf Ground, Lamlong Thongkhong SAI Ground, TakyelClassic FAFootball 4 Change AcademyNorth Eastern Sporting UnionPehlum Lamhil LawmPoloi FCSAI-RCSocial Development ClubWangoi FAMizoram Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl AR Lammual, Aizawl1st Bn MAP Football AcademyChanmari FCChanmari West FCChawnpui FCRamthar Veng FCSYS Football Club Mumbai Neville D'Souza Football Turf, BandraIndia Rush Soccer Club Iron Born FCKenkre FCMumbai City FCPIFA Sports FCReliance Foundation Young ChampsNorth21 Raj Niwas, Civil Lines, DelhiGarhwal FCRajasthan United FCRoundGlass Punjab FCSudeva Delhi FCSouthBangalore Football Stadium, BengaluruBengaluru FCFC Bengaluru UnitedChennaiyin FCKickstart FCFC MangaloreMohammden Sporting FCRoots FCSreenidi Deccan
Regional stage
Assam-Meghalaya region </onlyinclude>
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Alfred LalroutsangNorthEast United 122Samchaphrang LatoShillong Lajong6Freddy JyrwaMalki SC4Mebannangkiew ThabahShillong Lajong 4Parthib GogoiNorthEast United
East region
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1William LalgoulienMohammedan6Suhail BhatMohun Bagan SG3Ningomba Engson SinghMohun Bagan SG54Muhammed Roshal PPEast Bengal4Surajit GhoshUnited SC
Goa region </onlyinclude>
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Saish GaunkarFC Goa42Necio Maristo FernandesDempo SC3Laximanrao RaneDempo SCShrine ClementeChurchill BrothersLaitonjam Lemba SinghFC Goa
Kerala region </onlyinclude>
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Salahudheen Adnan KMuthoot FA72Muhammad AjsalKerala Blasters63Saivin Ericson ELiFFA54Vineeth ALiFFA4Naresh BhagyanathanMuthoot FA
Manipur region </onlyinclude>
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Kharibam Meitei SAI-RC10 Serto Worneilen KomClassic FA3Thokchom SinghNorth Eastern Sporting Union84Sonjalen HaokipPehlum Lamhil Lawm6Abujam SinghNorth Eastern Sporting Union
Mizoram region </onlyinclude>
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1SuanngaihmuanaChawnpui FC102PC Lalruatsanga Ramthar Veng93LaltlanzovaChanmari FC7LalthanglianaChanmari FC5Ephraim Lalremtluanga Chawnpui FC6
Mumbai region </onlyinclude>
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Vian Vinay MurgodRFYC72Ayush ChhikaraMumbai City53Dipu NeupaneIndia Rush SC4Alex KonthoujamRFYCMohammed KhatibIron Born FC
North region </onlyinclude>
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Shubho PaulSudeva Delhi52Ashangbam Aphaoba SinghRoundGlass Punjab43Sunil SorenGarhwal FC2Iashanbok Buhphang Garhwal FC
South region </onlyinclude>
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1FintoKickstart FC82Senthamil SChennaiyin6Satendra Singh YadavBengaluru4Udit GKickstart FC 4Jonathan Ian FrancoRoots FC
Ranking Of Third-Placed Teams Due to fewer number of teams in North Region, Third placed Team is not taken into account from North Region.</onlyinclude>
National group stage Top 20 teams will qualify from the regional qualifiers to the National group stage. National group stage is divided into 4 groups of 5 teams, with winners advancing to the National Championship stage.
Qualification No. Club Qualified as1 Shillong Lajong Assam-Meghalaya region champions2 NorthEast United Assam-Meghalaya region runners-up3 East Bengal East region champions4 Mohun Bagan SG East region runners-up5 FC Goa Goa region champions6 Velsao S&CC Goa region runners-up7 Muthoot FA Kerala region champions8 LiFFA Kerala region runners-up9 Classic FA Manipur region champions10 SAI-RC Manipur region runners-up11 Chawnpui FC Mizoram region champions12 Chanmari FC Mizoram region runners-up13 RFYC Mumbai region champions14 Mumbai City Mumbai region runners-up15 Sudeva Delhi North region champions16 Garhwal FC North region runners-up17 Bengaluru South region champions18 Sreenidi Deccan South region runners-up19 Kerala Blasters Best 3rd-placed team20 Ramthar Veng FC Second-best 3rd-placed team
Delhi group All matches to be played at 21 Raj Niwas, Civil Lines, Delhi.
Imphal group All matches to be played at SAI Complex, Imphal. With the last round being cancelled, Mohun Bagan SG advanced to the National championship stage.
Mumbai group All matches to be played at Reliance Corporate Park Football Ground, Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai.
Bengaluru group All matches to be played at Bangalore Football Stadium, Bengaluru.
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Loitongbam Taison SinghMohun Bagan SG5Muhammad AjsalKerala Blasters3Chirag BhujelRFYC4Himanshu JangraEast BengalMeuton FernandesVelsao S&CCSerto KomClassic FA
National championship stage Top 4 teams will qualify from the National group stage to the National championship knockout stage, with winners being crowned champions.
Qualification No. Club Qualified as1 Sudeva Delhi Delhi group champions2 Mohun Bagan SG Imphal group champions3 RFYC Mumbai group champions4 Bengaluru Bengaluru group champions
Bracket
Semi-finals
Third place
Final
See also 2022–23 U-17 Youth Cup
References