It's a brand-new day and we have brand-new football content landing on our screens and grounds. For, Feb 27 marks the launch of the Indian Football League.
Wait, what is this Indian Football League?
You previously knew it as... drumrolls... the I-League.
Oh! So, is it a rebranding?
Indeed. What started life as the National Football League in 1996, then got re-branded as the I-League in a bid to professionalise the sport in India is now the Indian Football League.
What was the logic behind this rebranding then, considering it's already been professionalised?
Well, not enough, clearly.
There's been some fundamental change, though, surely?
Yes, all jokes aside, there has actually.
While the All India Football Federation (AIFF) will fully own and operate the IFL, a governing council has been formed to give the clubs more autonomy in the functioning of the league- -- in both operational and commercial decisions.
The five-member Governing Council for the IFL for this season will be made up of Gokulam Kerala, Real Kashmir, Rajasthan United FC, Diamond Harbour FC and Shillong Lajong - giving it representation from each zone. The clubs believe the rebranding and restructuring is a strong step to take the division forward.
And?
Plus, like with the ISL, the format of it all has changed. The IFL will be a two-stage league.
In Stage 1, the 10 participating clubs will compete in a single-leg home-and-away round-robin format. All points accrued in stage 1 will carry forward to stage 2.
In Stage 2, the league will split into two groups:
The top half will enter a Championship Round (home-and-away)
The bottom half will compete in a centralised Relegation Round
The team finishing top of the top half in stage 2 will win the title (well, we say that...) and earn promotion to the ISL. The team finishing bottom of the bottom half shall be relegated.
There's also been a change in logo, hasn't there?
Of course.
We quote from the official AIFF release that accompanied the logo: "While the League does have the word 'Indian' as part of it, the streaks of orange and green are a brazen indicator of this being the country's League, even when the name isn't being used."
Every line has meaning. Every colour carries weight.
This isn't just a crest. It's a commitment to competition, identity, and growth.#IFL �� #IndianFootballLeague #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/g0me9dlAEQ
- Indian Football League (@IndFtblLeague) February 26, 2026
We think you'd agree... no further explanation needed.
Riiiight. Who's playing in the IFL?
10 clubs: Dempo SC, Real Kashmir FC, Namdhari FC, Aizawl FC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Rajasthan United FC, Diamond Harbour FC, Chanmari FC.
Wait a minute... isn't there a big name missing here?
Indeed. You might be wondering where Churchill Brothers are.
They finished top of the league last year, but through a series of rulings and appeals that involved the AIFF Disciplinary Committee, the AIFF Appeals Committee and the Court of Arbitration of Sport (Switzerland), it was found that the actual champions of the 2024-25 I-League season was Inter Kashi, who are now therefore in the ISL.
Churchill Brothers did not like, or agree with any of this, steadfastly believed they'd won the I-League title and with it promotion. Reports and rumours abound that they continue to push for a place in the ISL (which got underway a fortnight ago) and that meant they never committed to the newly rebranded IFL either. Hence, what was supposed to be a 11-team league is now a 10-team league*.
*For now, we hasten to add for legal Indian footballing reasons.
Anyone else missing?
For the second year running there will be no Manipur representation in this division. Both TRAU and NEROCA were relegated in 2023/24 amid the violence and tension that erupted in the state in May 2023 and led to several months of intermittent violence. This eventually led to President's Rule that lasted till earlier this month.
What should we look forward to? AKA, why should we follow it?
As ever, drama.
Ten teams, One champion! Football fever returns with #IFL2026 ⚡️
⚽️ Indian Football League ��️ Feb 27 - Apr 19
Watch LIVE on Doordarshan Sports �� #IndianFootballLeague @IndFtblLeague @IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/GHaEwGZ6AO
- Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) February 26, 2026
The I-League was notorious, and brilliant, for its unpredictability and the demands it put on teams and players in terms of logistics, handling vastly different environments and all those unique factors will remain.
You could be playing Real Kashmir in the snow of Srinagar one week and then taking on Gokulam Kerala in the blazing heat of Manjeri the next. You could in Punjab one moment, Meghalaya the next. It's raw, it's fierce, it's fun.
With Churchill not in the picture, for now, and many ISL clubs hoovering up Indian talent from this division to make up numbers after the foreign player exodus (while there was much uncertainty still on) and that kind of levels the playing field for the top clubs. As ever the golden rule for the division is -- predict no winners this early.
There's also much to look forward to in terms of the promoted teams: Diamond Harbour FC (presided by Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee) impressed in the admittedly short-of-ISL-teams 2025 Durand Cup, reaching the final and bring back strong West Bengal representation to the division. Chanmari FC, meanwhile, add spice to the league in terms of bringing an Aizawl derby that's been hotly contested in recent years in the Mizoram Premier League to the national stage.
Where can we see it?
For this season, DD Sports; or Prasar Bharti's online streaming platform, the 'Waves App'.