ISL Full Schedule & Fixtures 2026-27: Match Dates, Timings, Venues (Plus 2025-26 Final Results)
The Indian Super League returns on 10 October 2026, and this season looks different from anything Indian football has seen in the last decade. After a year of boardroom uncertainty, the league is back with a club-led operating model, a full home-and-away calendar, thirteen competing teams, and the long-awaited return of the playoffs.
If you landed here looking for the ISL 2025-26 schedule, that season is already in the books East Bengal FC lifted their maiden ISL crown in May 2026. We have covered those final results further down this page. But if you want to know when your club plays next, what time kick-off is, and which stadium to head to, the 2026-27 fixture list below is what you need.
ISL 2026-27 at a glance
| Detail | Information |
| Season | 2026-27 (13th ISL edition) |
| Start date | 10 October 2026 |
| End date | May 2027 |
| Teams | 13 |
| Format | Double round-robin (home & away), 24 games per club |
| Total matches | 163 (including playoffs) |
| Phase 1 matches | 78 (Matchweek 1 to 12) |
| Kick-off times | 5:00 PM & 7:30 PM IST |
| League winner title | ISL Shield (official champions) |
| Playoffs | Top 6 compete for ISL Cup |
| Defending champions | East Bengal FC |
| Continental slot | AFC Challenge League preliminary round |
What happened in ISL 2025-26? The season that nearly did not happen
Before we get to fixtures, the context matters because it explains why 2026-27 is structured the way it is.
The 2025-26 campaign was thrown into chaos when the Master Rights Agreement between FSDL and AIFF approached expiry in December 2025. FSDL formally told clubs the season was “on hold” in June 2025. It took Supreme Court intervention to break the deadlock, and even then, the commercial rights tender initially drew no viable bids.
The season eventually kicked off on 14 February 2026 in a compressed single round-robin format just 91 matches, 13 games per club, no playoffs. Every point carried enormous weight.
ISL 2025-26 final outcome:
| Position | Team | Note |
| 1 | East Bengal FC | Champions 1st ISL title, 4th Indian top-tier title |
| 2 | Mohun Bagan Super Giant | Runners-up |
| 14 | Mohammedan SC | Relegated to IFL |
Óscar Bruzón’s East Bengal ended a 22-year wait for a national league title, with Youssef Ezzejjari topping the scoring charts and Mohun Bagan pushed to the final week. Jamie Maclaren finished just behind in the golden boot race. Diamond Harbour FC won the 2025-26 IFL to earn promotion a story that takes a strange turn in the current season.
ISL 2026-27 full schedule: Matchweek 1 to 12
The opening phase runs from 10 October 2026 to 17 January 2027 across 78 matches. The scheduling team has clearly optimised for viewership 53 of these 78 fixtures fall on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Matchweek 1 (Oct 10 – Oct 16)
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Time (IST) |
| Oct 10 | Bengaluru FC vs SC Delhi | Kanteerava, Bengaluru | 5:00 PM |
| Oct 10 | FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC | Fatorda, Goa | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 11 | Inter Kashi vs Kerala Blasters | TBC | 5:00 PM |
| Oct 11 | Churchill Brothers vs Mumbai City | Fatorda, Goa | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 12 | NorthEast United vs Mohun Bagan SG | Sarusajai, Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 14 | Punjab FC vs Odisha FC | JLN, Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 16 | SC Delhi vs Mohun Bagan SG | JLN, Delhi | 7:30 PM |
Match week 2 (Oct 17 – Oct 24)
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Time (IST) |
| Oct 17 | Inter Kashi vs Odisha FC | TBC | 5:00 PM |
| Oct 17 | Bengaluru FC vs Chennaiyin FC | Kanteerava, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 18 | Churchill Brothers vs East Bengal | Fatorda, Goa | 5:00 PM |
| Oct 18 | NorthEast United vs Kerala Blasters | Sarusajai, Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 19 | Punjab FC vs Mumbai City | JLN, Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 23 | Inter Kashi vs East Bengal | TBC | 5:00 PM |
| Oct 24 | Odisha FC vs NorthEast United | Kalinga, Bhubaneswar | 7:30 PM |
Matchweek 3 (Oct 25 – Oct 31)
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Time (IST) |
| Oct 25 | Churchill Brothers vs Punjab FC | Fatorda, Goa | 5:00 PM |
| Oct 25 | Kerala Blasters vs Mumbai City | Kaloor, Kochi | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 26 | Mohun Bagan SG vs Chennaiyin FC | VYBK, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 28 | FC Goa vs SC Delhi | Fatorda, Goa | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 30 | NorthEast United vs Bengaluru FC | Sarusajai, Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| Oct 31 | Chennaiyin FC vs Kerala Blasters | Marina Arena, Chennai | 5:00 PM |
| Oct 31 | Mohun Bagan SG vs Punjab FC | VYBK, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
Matchweek 4 to 6 (Nov 1 – Dec 5): Key fixtures
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Time (IST) |
| Nov 1 | Mumbai City vs SC Delhi | Andheri, Mumbai | 5:00 PM |
| Nov 5 | Mohun Bagan SG vs Odisha FC | VYBK, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| Nov 6 | FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC | Fatorda, Goa | 7:30 PM |
| Nov 7 | Chennaiyin FC vs East Bengal | Marina Arena, Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| Nov 20 | East Bengal vs SC Delhi | VYBK, Kolkata | 5:00 PM |
| Nov 22 | Churchill Brothers vs Mohun Bagan SG | Fatorda, Goa | 7:30 PM |
| Nov 24 | NorthEast United vs SC Delhi | Khuman Lampak, Imphal | 7:30 PM |
| Nov 29 | East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan SG | VYBK, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| Dec 4 | East Bengal vs Punjab FC | VYBK, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| Dec 5 | FC Goa vs Mumbai City | Fatorda, Goa | 5:00 PM |
Matchweek 7 to 12 (Dec 5 – Jan 17): Key fixtures
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Time (IST) |
| Dec 9 | Mohun Bagan SG vs Bengaluru FC | VYBK, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| Dec 13 | Mumbai City vs East Bengal | Andheri, Mumbai | 5:00 PM |
| Dec 17 | Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal | Kanteerava, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| Dec 17 | Mumbai City vs Mohun Bagan SG | Andheri, Mumbai | 5:00 PM |
| Dec 21 | East Bengal vs NorthEast United | VYBK, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| Dec 22 | FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan SG | Fatorda, Goa | 7:30 PM |
| Jan 3 | Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters | Kanteerava, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| Jan 9 | East Bengal vs FC Goa | VYBK, Kolkata | 5:00 PM |
| Jan 10 | Mohun Bagan SG vs Kerala Blasters | VYBK, Kolkata | 5:00 PM |
| Jan 16 | Kerala Blasters vs East Bengal | Kaloor, Kochi | 7:30 PM |
| Jan 17 | Mumbai City vs NorthEast United | Andheri, Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
Phase 2 fixtures, covering the reverse legs and the run-in to the playoffs, are expected to be released later in the season. Bookmark this page we update it within hours of every official announcement.
Why are kick-off times 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM IST?
Almost every ISL 2026-27 match is scheduled at either 5:00 PM or 7:30 PM IST, and that is a deliberate choice. The 7:30 PM slot is Indian television’s prime-time window, while 5:00 PM gives double-headers room to breathe without overlapping. Weekend-heavy scheduling in Phase 1 reinforces the same logic get families in front of screens and fans into stadiums when they are actually free.
For overseas viewers, 7:30 PM IST converts to roughly 2:00 PM GMT, 9:00 AM ET and 10:00 PM SGT. Always check our live score page on matchday, because occasional slot changes do happen for broadcast or AFC-related reasons.
ISL 2026-27 teams and venues
Thirteen clubs across eleven cities make up this season.
| Team | City | Home Stadium | Capacity |
| Bengaluru FC | Bengaluru | Sree Kanteerava Stadium | 25,810 |
| Chennaiyin FC | Chennai | Marina Arena | 40,000 |
| Churchill Brothers | Margao | Fatorda Stadium | 19,000 |
| SC Delhi | New Delhi | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 60,254 |
| East Bengal FC | Kolkata | VYBK (Salt Lake) | 68,000 |
| FC Goa | Margao | Fatorda Stadium | 19,000 |
| Inter Kashi | Varanasi | Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi | 40,000 |
| Kerala Blasters | Kochi | Kaloor Stadium | 40,000 |
| Mohun Bagan SG | Kolkata | VYBK (Salt Lake) | 68,000 |
| Mumbai City FC | Mumbai | Mumbai Football Arena | 7,000 |
| NorthEast United | Guwahati / Imphal | Sarusajai / Khuman Lampak | 21,600 / 29,877 |
| Odisha FC | Bhubaneswar | Kalinga Stadium | 15,000 |
| Punjab FC | Mohali | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi | 60,254 |
Two entries deserve explanation. Inter Kashi are a Varanasi club but will play home games at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Stadium while their own venue is under construction some early fixtures still show “TBC” pending final confirmation. Punjab FC continue to host matches in New Delhi rather than Mohali.
The three storylines behind a 13-team league
Jamshedpur FC are gone. After nine seasons, the Tata-backed club missed the participation fee deadline in July 2026 and withdrew. Tata Steel then transferred its stake and the sporting licence to Churchill Brothers for a token ₹100 which is how the Goan giants make their ISL debut this season, inheriting a dozen player contracts in the process.
Diamond Harbour won promotion but will never kick a ball. The 2025-26 IFL champions failed to complete their ₹1.1 crore participation payment. The AIFF ruled they will be deemed to finish bottom of the table, cannot earn points, and will drop back to the IFL for 2027-28 an unprecedented situation in Indian football. Following the reduction to 13 clubs, reports indicated no further relegation would apply this season.
Clubs now run the league. On 8 July 2026, the AIFF and the ISL Managing Committee signed a four-year club-led agreement. Clubs hold commercial rights through a special purpose vehicle while the AIFF retains regulatory control, with participation fees rising from ₹1.1 crore to ₹1.25 crore across four seasons.
Format: Shield winners, ISL Cup and the AFC route
The team topping the table after 24 matches is crowned Shield Winner the official ISL champion and earns India’s continental slot. Because India slipped to 15th in the AFC West Zone rankings, that slot is now the AFC Challenge League preliminary round rather than Champions League Two. Note that if Mohun Bagan finish top, the slot passes to the runners-up, as they remain banned from AFC competition until 2028-29.
The ISL Cup playoffs return after being scrapped in 2025-26. The top six qualify, with the top two going straight to two-legged semi-finals. Teams placed third to sixth contest single-leg knockouts hosted by the higher-ranked side, and the final is a one-off match at the higher-ranked finalist’s ground.
Fixtures to circle on your calendar
The Kolkata Derby on 29 November 2026 at VYBK is the obvious headline — Asian football’s most storied rivalry, 68,000 seats, and defending champions East Bengal hosting Mohun Bagan under Antonio López Habas, who has now coached both. East Bengal actually skip Matchweek 1 entirely because of AFC commitments; their title defence begins on 18 October away at Churchill Brothers.
Also worth noting: Churchill Brothers vs FC Goa on 13 December revives the Goan derby at ISL level for the first time, and Manolo Márquez’s return to Fatorda with Mumbai City on 5 December after leaving Goa in June has genuine edge to it.
Where to watch ISL 2026-27 live
Broadcast arrangements were still being finalised as the season approached. After the media rights tender attracted limited interest, clubs entered direct talks with Zee and Sony Sports, while Google held discussions about carrying matches on YouTube. Reporting through August and September 2026 pointed towards a hybrid model linear television through Zee and free streaming via YouTube but no arrangement had been formally confirmed at the time of writing.
We will update this section the moment the official announcement lands. For now, follow every match on our ISL live score hub for real-time goals, lineups, minute-by-minute commentary and updated standings.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does ISL 2026-27 start?
The season kicks off on 10 October 2026 with Bengaluru FC hosting SC Delhi at 5:00 PM IST, followed by FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC at 7:30 PM IST.
How many teams are in ISL 2026-27?
Thirteen clubs are competing, down from 14 after Mohammedan’s relegation, Jamshedpur’s withdrawal and Diamond Harbour’s barred promotion. Churchill Brothers make their debut.
Who won ISL 2025-26?
East Bengal FC won their first-ever ISL title, finishing above Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the compressed single round-robin season that ran from February to May 2026.
When is the Kolkata Derby in 2026-27?
East Bengal host Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Sunday, 29 November 2026 at VYBK, Kolkata, at 7:30 PM IST.
How many matches will be played this season?
A total of 163 matches across eight months, with each club playing 24 league games plus the top six entering the ISL Cup playoffs.
Is there relegation in ISL 2026-27?
Diamond Harbour FC have been placed bottom and will drop to the IFL for 2027-28 without playing a match. Following the reduction to 13 clubs, reports indicated no additional relegation spot would apply this season.