The 2026–27 season is the seventh season in Punjab FC's existence, their fourth consecutive season in the Indian Super League, and sixth overall season in the topflight of Indian football. In addition to the 2026–27 Indian Super League, the club is expected to participate in the national cup competition but will not participate in the 2026 Durand Cup.
Background
The club finished 6th in the 2025–26 season, its best finish in the Indian Super League. However, the club's technical director since 2020, Nikolaos Topoliatis, departed Punjab in the winter to return to Olympiacos in Greece.
In a surprise move on 25 June, head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis left the club to join Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Dilmperis's staff, including assistant head coach Katsaras, also departed to the Kolkata giants.
On 13 July, Punjab FC announced the appointment of Pavlos Dermitzakis as the new head coach. He became the third consecutive Greek manager at the club after Staikos Vergetis and Panos Dilberis.
Punjab FC decided not to participate in the 2026 Durand Cup in July–August.
Transfers
Transfers In DatePositionPlayerPrevious clubTransfer feeRef30 June 2026CMMohammad InamReal Kashmir6 July 2026RW Alfred PlanasInter KashiFree26 July 2026CBNishchal ChandanInter Kashi28 July 2026LWGurkirat SinghChennaiyin FC22 August 2026CF Raphaël Messi BouliJamshedpur FC26 August 2026CB Patrick Gérard Bahanack Ethnikos Achna FCFree8 September 2026LW Diego Raposo FC Lokomotiv SofiaFree
Transfers Out Date.PositionPlayerOutgoing clubTransfer FeeRef11 June 2026MF/CB Samir ZeljkovicMohun Bagan Super GiantNone18 June 2026CBPramveer SinghNorthEast United26 June 2026CF Bede Osuji NK AluminijNone9 July 2026AM Dani RamírezEast BengalNone17 July 2026ST Effiong NsungusiEast Bengal31 July 2026CB Pablo SantosFree agent
Squad No.NameAgeContract EndsGoalkeepers13Arshdeep Singh GK28202878Muheet ShabirGK24202725Aryaman BenganiGK202027Defenders30Thoungamba SinghCB1820273Bijoy VargheseCB262028Nishchal ChandanCB27202874Suresh MeiteiCB3220272Muhammad UvaisLB2820285Patrick Gérard BahanackCB292027Midfielders4Nikhil PrabhuDM2520276Ricky ShabongDM23202719Manglenthang KipgenMF21202816Vinit RaiDM282027Mohammad InamCM25202812Khaiminthang LhungdimRM26202931Leon AugustineRM27202711Princeton RebelloAM27202721Singamayum ShamiAM192029Forwards91Gurkirat SinghLW23202823Bikash Singh SagolsemLW25202811Diego RaposoLW29202710Alfred PlanasRW3020277Ninthoi MeeteiRW25202717Muhammad Suhail FCF19202914Vishal YadavCF18202728Raphaël Messi BouliCF342027
Current technical staff
PositionName Head coach Pavlos Dermitzakis Assistant coach Konstantinos Katsaras Assistant coach Sankarlal Chakraborty Strength & Conditioning Coach Giannis PapaioannouTeam Manager Kaustuv Kashyap
Competitions
Overall record
IFA Shield
Punjab participated in the 2026 IFA Shield and were placed in Group B alongside Calcutta Customs and East Bengal and would play their group stage matches at Kolkata. This was their first ever appearance in the tournament. Punjab started their campaign with a thumping 7–0 win against Calcutta Customs with a hattrick from Messi Bouli along with goals from Konsam Sanathoi Singh, Bishu Sharma, Alfred Planas and Gurkirat Singh. The win assured Punjab of a spot in the semi-finals played on 4 October 2026 at Kishore Bharati Krirangan against Mohun Bagan SG. The match ended 0–0 after 120 minutes of play and headed towards penalties where Punjab lost, courtesy 2 penalty saves by Vishal Kaith. Table
Matches
Indian Super League
Punjab will participate in the 2026 Indian Super League and would begin their league journey with a home match against Odisha at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi on 14 October.
Table
Result summary
Results by match
Matches
Punjab State Super League
Summary Punjab participated in the 40th season of the 2026–27 Punjab State Super Football League as the defending champions. They faced GHG Khalsa College FC in their opening match of the season. Punjab fielded their reserve team for the tournament, with Praveen Kumar taking charge as the head coach.
Matches
References
Notes