I-League Season To Start On Feb 21

2026-01-28 03:17:41

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) New Delhi- The I-League, the country's second-tier football competition, will be restructured and rechristened as Indian Football League (IFL), with the clubs becoming majority stakeholders in the venture from the upcoming season beginning February 21.

A decision to rechristen the I-League was taken during a meeting of the club representatives and All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials on Wednesday. It was later announced during a press conference here.

The AIFF's Executive Committee is yet to approve the decision though it is just a formality.

“We have decided in today's meeting that the I-League will be restructured and rechristened as Indian Football League. It is a landmark decision, though it will need the approval from the AIFF Executive Committee,” said Shillong Lajong owner Larsing Ming at the press conference.

“We are making a fresh start of the league. The clubs themselves will majorly involve in running the league just like it is done in other top leagues of the world like the English Premier League.”

The announcement came in the backdrop of a crisis in Indian football after the AIFF and its previous commercial partner FSDL failed to renew the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) beyond December 8 last year.

The top-tier Indian Super League (ISL), organised by FSDL, and the I-League were paused only to restart after the intervention of the sports ministry.

The ISL is set to begin on February 14, a week before the I-League (Indian Football League).

The country's top-tier league was originally called National Football League (NFL) which ran from 1996 to 2007 when it was re-branded as I-League. The ISL started in 2014 and it became the top-tier league. The I-League became the country's second tier competition.

Diamond Harbour of West Bengal and Chanmari FC of Mizoram were promoted from the I-League 2024-25, making it an 11club affair for a truncated 2025-26 season.

There is a big question mark on whether Goa's Churchill Brothers would compete this season or not. They were initially announced as last edition I-League champions and promoted to the ISL.

But the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) later ruled that Inter Kashi were the champions, and the Varanasi-based club was subsequently promoted to the ISL. Churchill had knocked the doors of the Delhi HC against the AIFF, and the case is still pending.

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