I-LEAGUE, the second tier of Indian football, has officially been rebranded as the Indian Football League, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced.
“The All India Football Federation’s Executive Committee, in an online meeting on Thursday, February 12, 2026, approved the rebranding of the I-League to the Indian Football League from the 2025-26 season,” the AIFF said in a social media post.
Launched in 2007 as the country’s top-flight competition, the I-League was formally relegated to second-tier status in the 2022-23 season. Ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, scheduled to kick off on 21 February, club owners and the AIFF had proposed the name change during a press conference last month.
The AIFF also confirmed, “The Committee further ratified the charter for the Governing Council of the Indian Super League and the Indian Football League.”
For the upcoming season, the five-member Governing Council of the Indian Football League will comprise representatives from Gokulam Kerala, Real Kashmir, Rajasthan United FC, Diamond Harbour FC, and Shillong Lajong, ensuring zonal representation across the country.
