The Indian Super League (ISL) is back, about a year and three months after its previous season was postponed indefinitely, the Indian Express reported on 9 October 2026.
Quick Facts
| Format | League stage followed by play-offs |
| Clubs in the table | 13 |
| Relegated by default | Diamond Harbour FC |
| New name in the league | Churchill Brothers FC |
| Who runs the league | The clubs, for the next four years |
What Has Changed
The biggest change is in ownership and management. From this season, and for the next four years, the league will in effect be run by the clubs themselves.
It keeps its name and returns to the league-and-play-off format that had to be abandoned last season.
A Turbulent Fifteen Months
The postponement was followed by court hearings, players fearing for their livelihoods, clubs shutting down and reopening, and a shortened season.
Churchill Brothers Arrive
Churchill Brothers FC, a long-established name in Indian football, will play in the ISL for the first time. They are there because Tata Steel sold Jamshedpur FC to them for a token Rs 100.
Jamshedpur are former winners of the ISL Shield. News that the club might close had shocked the league.
One Club Already Relegated
Diamond Harbour FC of West Bengal won promotion last season but did not meet the administrative fee requirement for 2026–27.
The All India Football Federation said they would be placed bottom by default and relegated. In effect, that protects the other clubs from relegation this season.
The Mood
Despite the instability, the Indian Express reported optimism among the clubs going into the season.
Source: Indian Express (9 October 2026).
Featured image: Action from an Indian Super League match against FC Goa in September 2024 (file photo). Photo by Byronkhiangte, licensed under CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.