During the league stage, the clubs will play each other twice, once at home and once away. The team finishing at the top of the standings will be declared the Shield Winners and recognised as the official ISL champions. The league winner will also secure a place in Asian club competition.
The Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 season will begin on October 10 and run until next May, with the competition returning to a traditional home-and-away format under a new club-led structure. The upcoming campaign will feature 163 matches over eight months, with 13 teams currently listed to take part in the league, according to a statement released by the ISL, as reported by ESPN.
The playoff system will also return this season, with the league phase’s top six teams advancing to the knockout stage. The eventual winner of the playoffs will be crowned the ISL Cup Champion. The participating teams are Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, Churchill Brothers FC, East Bengal FC, FC Goa, Inter Kashi FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, Punjab FC and Sporting Club Delhi.
Diamond Harbour FC, who secured promotion by winning the 2025-26 Indian Football League title, will not participate in the ISL this season after failing to meet the administrative fee requirement.
As part of the league’s promotion and relegation structure, Diamond Harbour will be placed at the bottom of the standings and will not be permitted to earn points during the season. The team finishing at the top of the league table will be crowned Shield Winners, recognised as the official champions of the ISL, and will earn a place in Asian competition. The club will also lose its ISL status for the 2027-28 campaign and return to the IFL, according to the release. The 2026-27 season will be the first under a new model, under which the participating clubs will play a greater role in shaping the league’s direction and key decisions. Earlier reporting noted: Indian Super League 2026-27 season to begin on October 10 New Delhi [India], September 5 (ANI): The Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 season will begin on October 10 and run until May 2027, with the competition set to return to a traditional home-and-away format under a new club-led model, according to a statement released by the league, as quoted by ESPN. Earlier reporting noted: The upcoming season will feature 163 matches across eight months, with 13 teams competing in a round-robin format.
Earlier reporting noted: The season will also mark the return of the playoff format, with the top six teams competing for the ISL Cup Champions title.
