THE ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION declared Monday that the Indian Football League 2026-27 season will commence on October 16.
The confirmation followed a meeting of the IFL governing council, which was attended by representatives from 10 of the 11 IFL clubs (barring Mohammedan Sporting). For the record, the clubs in attendance were Aizawl FC, FC Bengaluru United, Chanmari FC, Delhi FC, Dempo SC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Rajasthan United FC, Real Kashmir FC, Shillong Lajong FC and Sreenidi Deccan FC.
From the AIFF, deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan, head of Competitions Akshay Rohatgi and head of Strategy and Operations Nildeep Mondal were present.
In a significant decision aimed at increasing gametime for Indian players, a regulation permitting a maximum of three foreign players in a team’s starting line-up was confirmed for the upcoming season.
Additionally, the IFL clubs collectively agreed that every club will enrol in the AIFF Academy Accreditation Programme and 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.
The broadcast performance of IFL 2025-26 was also reviewed. Last season, the IFL recorded 17.56 million live television viewers, it was announced.
Satyanarayan noted: “This was our first meeting ahead of the new season, and we began by reviewing last year’s truncated campaign, looking at all the key numbers, both in terms of broadcast performance and overall expenditure. The clubs were pleased that we were able to conduct the league on a very tight budget.
“We also discussed the roadmap for the new season, including the proposed budgets. While a few aspects are still being finalised, we are pleased that the start date has now been confirmed, and we will work together towards delivering a successful 2026-27 season.”
