The Indian Super League will resume on February 14, 2026, after a six-month shutdown caused by legal disputes between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited. Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant will host Kerala Blasters FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata for the season opener.
The match marked the end of months of uncertainty that nearly cancelled the league and forced several clubs to suspend operations.
Season Format and Opening Fixtures
The 2025-26 season will feature 14 teams playing a single-leg round-robin format across 91 matches. The team with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned champion.
There will be no playoffs this year. FC Goa, winners of the AIFF Super Cup, will face debutants Inter Kashi in the second match at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa. Fans can check the complete ISL fixtures for match timings and venues across the shortened season.
Financial Crisis and Broadcast Rights Collapse
The league almost did not happen. The Marketing Rights Agreement between AIFF and FSDL expired on December 8, 2025, leaving the season in limbo. Kerala Blasters stopped club operations and sent foreign players home during the standoff.
Media rights for the season collapsed by 94.4 percent, dropping from Rs. 1.69 crore per match last season to just Rs. 9.5 lakh this year. Prize money was also slashed, with the winner now receiving a minimum of Rs. 3.5 crore compared to Rs. 6 crore previously. The broadcast rights dispute left clubs and players scrambling for months. You can read more about the Kerala Blasters‘ operations halt and how it affected their preparation.
Teams Struggle With Limited Preparation Time
Most teams had only 14 to 15 days of pre-season training after the league was finally confirmed. Kerala Blasters head coach David Catala admitted his squad faced major challenges with such limited preparation time. The club also dealt with licensing issues after AIFF denied them a Premier 1 club license, adding more pressure before the opener. Despite these setbacks, Catala brought in new foreign signings to strengthen the squad and challenge for their first ISL title after finishing as runners-up three times.
Mohun Bagan Enters as Title Favorites
Mohun Bagan is a definite favorite in the match. Head coach Sergio Lobera has retained his team relatively intact and enjoys the advantage of playing at home in front of a loud Kolkata crowd.
The Australian forward, Dimitri Petratos, is in his 5th season with the club and continues being a major attacking threat. Mohun Bagan is the champion from the previous year and will aim to defend it even in the abridged format. The one-legged system implies that each game will be loaded with additional weight, and there will not be time to start slow or lose points.
SUGGESTED READ: Indian Super League 2025-26 Fixtures: Schedule, Venues and Where to Watch Live
What This Season Means for Indian Football
Continental qualification is also the result of the truncated season. The winner of the ISL Shield will have guaranteed entry into the AFC Champions League, although the reduced number of games can lead to the slot being devalued compared to past years.
Tighter budgets are also being addressed by clubs, and player salaries consume 33 per cent of club valuations, which is still high compared to other leagues such as La Liga and the English Premier League.
It is also possible that this season is the last professional campaign of Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri, who is the all-time top goalscorer in India. The country’s viewers will be eager to find out whether the 41-year-old will be able to write one more book in his legendary story. The league will last until May 17, 2026, and each 14-team will compete to win the championship in a format that rewards consistency within a narrow timeframe.
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