The 2026–27 Indian Football League, also known as the Star Cement Indian Football League (due to sponsorship reasons with Star Cement), will be the fifth season of the Indian Football League as the second tier of the Indian football league system, which will start on October 16, 2026. Diamond Harbour were the reigning champions, having won the 2025–26 I-League.
Developments July On 27 July 2026, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed that the season would begin on 16 October 2026. The governing body also approved a regulation permitting a maximum of three foreign players in each team's starting line-up, aimed at increasing playing time for Indian players.
The Indian Football League (IFL) clubs collectively agreed to enrol in the AIFF Academy Accreditation Programme, with each club committing to attain a minimum two-star accreditation before the 2027–28 season. The clubs also committed to developing their academies to achieve a minimum three-star accreditation by 2030, as part of a long-term effort to strengthen youth development and player pathways.
Among the clubs, Sreenidi Deccan received a four-star rating, Dempo SC three stars, Shillong Lajong and Rajasthan United two stars each, and Gokulam Kerala one star. Minerva Academy, which has a partnership with Delhi FC as part of the latter's youth development structure, received a five-star rating. Aizawl FC, Chanmari FC, Mohammedan SC, Bengaluru United and Real Kashmir did not appear among the accredited academies listed for the 2026–27 cycle.
August In early August 2026, Aizawl FC reached an agreement to transfer its IFL sporting rights to Nagaland United, subject to approval from the AIFF. The proposed move would see Nagaland United play its home matches in Dimapur, while Aizawl would continue operating in Mizoram.
In August 2026, several IFL clubs raised concerns over the financial contribution required to participate in the competition. The proposed contribution was reported to have increased substantially from approximately in the previous season to around for the 2026–27 season, prompting concerns over the financial sustainability of participation.
Earlier in August, Dempo SC informed the AIFF that it could reconsider its future participation in the IFL if the substantial increase in the financial contribution was not reconsidered.
On 16 August 2026, Samaleswari SC were reported to be in the final stages of negotiations to acquire Delhi FC's sporting licence and enter the league.
In August 2026, Rajasthan United began considering Kokrajhar as an alternative home venue for the 2026–27 season due to floodlight-related challenges at Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium. The club was reported to be exploring a possible arrangement with the Bodoland administration.
September On 8 September 2026, it was reported that the season would begin on 30 October, later than the previously announced 16 October start date. The officials also met Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi in New Delhi to discuss a potential broadcast partnership, with DD Sports among the possible outlets for broadcasting.
The league would continue to permit a maximum of three foreign players on the pitch at a time. The season would feature Nagaland United and Samaleswari SC as new entrants, following their respective acquisitions of the IFL sporting rights of Aizawl FC and Delhi FC.
On 23 September 2026, the AIFF significantly reduced the participation fee for the season to . The initial fee had been proposed at around , but participating clubs had raised concerns over the financial burden. The reduction followed discussions between the clubs and the federation, with sponsorship-related support also reportedly linked to the reduction.
On 30 September 2026, it was reported that the IFL would open the season in Srinagar for the first time, with Real Kashmir hosting debutants Nagaland United at the TRC Football Stadium on 30 October.
Club changes The following clubs have changed division since the 2025–26 season: # Club Path Notes Entered IFL 1 Bengaluru United Promoted from 2025–26 IL2 2 Mohammedan SC Relegated from 2025–26 ISL 3 Samaleswari Ownership transfer License acquired from Delhi FC 4 Nagaland United License acquired from Aizawl FC Last played and finished third in the 2025 Nagaland Super League
Exited IFL 1 Delhi Ownership transferred to Samaleswari SC Promoted from 2025–26 IL2 as champions, but transferred their IFL license and ownership to Samaleswarihttps://x.com/SayanMukherjee4/status/2091835015827186152 2 Aizawl Withdrew and voluntarily relegated to Mizoram Premier League Transferred their IFL sporting license to Nagaland United
3 Diamond Harbour Promoted to 2026–27 ISL After promotion, the club was barred from participation in the ISL due to non-payment of outstanding participation fee. 4 Relegated to 2026–27 IL2
Clubs
ClubLocationStadiumCapacityBengaluru UnitedBengaluru, KarnatakaBangalore Football Stadium8,400ChanmariAizawl, MizoramRajiv Gandhi Stadium20,000DempoCarambolim, GoaDuler Stadium5,000Gokulam KeralaKozhikode, KeralaPayyanad Stadium30,000MohammedanKolkata, West BengalKishore Bharati Krirangan12,000Nagaland UnitedChümoukedima, NagalandChümoukedima Football Stadium5,000Rajasthan UnitedJaipur, RajasthanVidyadhar Nagar Stadium3,000Real KashmirSrinagar, Jammu & KashmirTRC Turf Ground10,000SamaleswariSambalpur, OdishaBirsa Munda Athletic Stadium9,000Shillong LajongShillong, MeghalayaSSA Stadium5,000Sreenidi DeccanHyderabad, TelanganaDeccan Arena1,500
Personnel and sponsorship TeamHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsorBengaluru United Nallappan Mohanraj Lalramdinsanga RalteHYVE SportsNimidaChanmari Steven Dias ZothanmawiaShiv NareshBana Kaih MizoramDempoShiv NareshDempoGokulam Kerala Carlos Eduardo Parreira Shibinraj Kunniyil MS Sportswear Bandhan BankMohammedan Saheed Ramon Mahitosh RoyValent SportsNagaland United Kaizad Ambapardiwalla Kevisanyu Peseyie KappaAir India ExpressRajasthan UnitedVertak GroupReal KashmirSamaleswari Abdul Azim Siddique Basit Ahmed BhatNiviaMCLShillong Lajong Birendra Thapa Kenstar KharshongKing SportsMeghalaya TourismSreenidi Deccan Antonio Rueda David CastañedaHYVE SportsSreenidhi Sports
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentGokulam Kerala Renjith CMEnd of interim spell29 July 2026Pre-season Carlos Parreira30 July 2026Sreenidi Deccan Carlos Vaz PintoEnd of contract30 July 2026 Antonio Rueda4 August 2026
Foreign players Bold denotes the player was signed mid-season.
Beginning this season, the Governing Council approved a regulation permitting a maximum of three foreign players on the pitch at a time, down from four from last season. TeamPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Player 5Player 6Unregistered player(s)Former player(s)Bengaluru United Chanmari Dempo Dé Asonaning Budu Richmond Owusu Gokulam Kerala Crislan Victor Denny Antwi João Rodrigues Mikel Kortazar Hugo Diáz Mohammedan Nagaland United Rajasthan United Diego Maurício Foday Trawally Adri Castellano Judah García Real Kashmir Eric Traoré Alain Eyenga Thabiso Brown Marcus Joseph Samaleswari Jorge Pereyra Díaz Jamal Arago Kamal IssahShillong Lajong Arthur Pangaro Joedson dos Santos Jota Sreenidi Deccan Vitinho David Castañeda Adriano Castanheira Pape Gassama Hadi Idrissou
Regular season League table
Match by match
See also Men 2026–27 ISL 2026–27 I-League 2 2026–27 I-League 3 2026–27 Indian State Leagues 2026 Durand Cup 2027 Federation Cup 2027 RFD League
Women 2026–27 IWL 2026–27 IWL 2
References