Kolkata : Much awaited fixture for Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 which is set to start on October 10, was announced on Saturday.
To delight of fans, most of the matches are set to be played around the weekends. Only “Phase 1” of the schedule has been announced till January 17, 2027. The officials said in its statement that Phase 2 and playoff fixtures will be announced “at a later date”, as will the venue of Inter Kashi’s home fixtures, which reportedly is Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi.
The announcement comes just days after the league announced Karan Yadav, former chief commercial officer at JSW sports, as its new chief executive officer as the ISL transitions into a new era of club-led model.
FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur thanked fans on social media for demanding that more matches be played in the weekend.
“Getting the first half of the ISL fixtures done felt near impossible: venues up in the air, blackout dates, AFC games. But fans asked for weekend football and we fought for it. Nearly 70% of games are Fri–Sun. Thank you for telling us what matters,” he said in a post on X.
The opening match of the season will be between Bengaluru FC and Sporting Club Delhi at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, where India tied against Panama to a 1-1 with help of Bengaluru “home boy” Ryan Williams goal.
East Bengal, who ended their 22-year wait to conquer top-flight national league title in the truncated 2025/26 season, will start their title defence with a match away from home against Churchill Brothers at Goa on October 18. East Bengal will be absent from Game Week 1 due to their AFC commitments. They’ll host Iraq giant Al-Shorta on October 13 at Salt Lake Stadium for ACL 2 group stage clash.
One of the most successful side of the league Mohun Bagan Super Giant start their campaign on October 12 away to NorthEast United.
The first and historic Kolkata derby of the season between the East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will be on November 29, a Sunday at 7:30 PM which will draw larger fans. The Football lovers would get to witness 2 derbies during league stage again.
“Built on fan feedback, the 2026-27 season will place a strong emphasis on weekend football, with 53 of the 78 Phase 1 matches (68%) scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. Matches will primarily be played at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM IST, offering fans more opportunities to follow the league over the weekend,” said the league in its statement.
The league will pause for the FIFA international window from Saturday, November 7 to Friday, November 20, 2026, with no league matches scheduled during this period.
Let’s take a look at teams, formats, fixture of ISL 2026-27 –
Teams :
13 teams will feature in ISL 2026-27 – Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, Churchill Brothers, East Bengal FC, FC Goa, Inter Kashi, Kerala Blasters FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, Punjab FC and Sporting Club Delhi.
Format :
After single round robin format last year where East Bengal won by virtue of topping the league table and no knockouts, ISL 2026-27 is all set to return to it’s traditional home-away format. The team finishing first in the league standings will be crowned the ISL Shield winners, while the top six teams will progress to the playoffs and compete for the ISL Cup.
However, there will effectively be no competitive relegation battle in the Indian Super League for the 2026–27 season.
AIFF announced that the 2026–27 season will feature 13 teams. Diamond Harbour FC who earned promotion winning the Indian Football League (IFL), failed to fulfill the participation fee requirements and did not take up its promoted spot. As a result, the AIFF ruled that Diamond Harbour FC will default to the bottom of the table, earn zero points, and drop to the IFL for 2027–28. Because this predetermined spot accounts for the relegation slot, no other existing ISL club will face a sporting relegation battle at the end of the 2026–27 campaign.
Fixture :
October 10, Saturday
Bengaluru FC vs Sporting Club Delhi
Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
5:00 PM
October 10, Saturday
FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
7:30 PM
October 11, Sunday
Inter Kashi vs Kerala Blasters FC
TBC
5:00 PM
October 11, Sunday
Churchill Brothers vs Mumbai City FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
7:30 PM
October 12, Monday
NorthEast United FC vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati
7:30 PM
October 14, Wednesday
Punjab FC vs Odisha FC
JLN Stadium, Delhi
7:30 PM
October 16, Friday
Sporting Club Delhi vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant
JLN Stadium, Delhi
7:30 PM
October 17, Saturday
Inter Kashi vs Odisha FC
TBC
5:00 PM
October 17, Saturday
Bengaluru FC vs Chennaiyin FC
Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
7:30 PM
October 18, Sunday
Churchill Brothers vs East Bengal FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
5:00 PM
October 18, Sunday
NorthEast United FC vs Kerala Blasters FC
Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati
7:30 PM
October 19, Monday
Punjab FC vs Mumbai City FC
JLN Stadium, Delhi
7:30 PM
October 23, Friday
Inter Kashi vs East Bengal FC
TBC
5:00 PM
October 24, Saturday
Odisha FC vs NorthEast United FC
Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
7:30 PM
October 25, Sunday
Churchill Brothers vs Punjab FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
5:00 PM
October 25, Sunday
Kerala Blasters FC vs Mumbai City FC
JLN Stadium, Kochi
7:30 PM
October 26, Monday
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Chennaiyin FC
VYBK, Kolkata
7:30 PM
October 28, Wednesday
FC Goa vs Sporting Club Delhi
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
7:30 PM
October 30, Friday
NorthEast United FC vs Bengaluru FC
Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati
7:30 PM
October 31, Saturday
Chennaiyin FC vs Kerala Blasters FC
JLN Stadium, Chennai
5:00 PM
October 31, Saturday
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Punjab FC
VYBK, Kolkata
7:30 PM
November 1, Sunday
Mumbai City FC vs Sporting Club Delhi
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
5:00 PM
November 1, Sunday
Inter Kashi vs FC Goa
TBC
7:30 PM
November 5, Thursday
Churchill Brothers vs NorthEast United FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
5:00 PM
November 5, Thursday
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Odisha FC
VYBK, Kolkata
7:30 PM
November 6, Friday
FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
7:30 PM
November 7, Saturday
Inter Kashi vs Sporting Club Delhi
TBC
5:00 PM
November 7, Saturday
Chennaiyin FC vs East Bengal FC
JLN Stadium, Chennai
7:30 PM
November 20, Friday
East Bengal FC vs Sporting Club Delhi
VYBK, Kolkata
5:00 PM
November 20, Friday
Bengaluru FC vs Mumbai City FC
Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
7:30 PM
November 21, Saturday
Chennaiyin FC vs Punjab FC
JLN Stadium, Chennai
5:00 PM
November 21, Saturday
NorthEast United FC vs FC Goa
Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati
7:30 PM
November 22, Sunday
Churchill Brothers vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
November 24, Tuesday
NorthEast United FC vs Sporting Club Delhi
Khuman Lampak Stadium, Imphal
7:30 PM
November 27, Friday
Inter Kashi vs Churchill Brothers
TBC
7:30 PM
November 29, Sunday
FC Goa vs Kerala Blasters FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
5:00 PM
November 29, Sunday
East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant
VYBK, Kolkata
7:30 PM
November 30, Monday
Mumbai City FC vs Chennaiyin FC
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
5:00 PM
November 30, Monday
NorthEast United FC vs Punjab FC
Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati
7:30 PM
December 4, Friday
Odisha FC vs Bengaluru FC
Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
5:00 PM
December 4, Friday
East Bengal FC vs Punjab FC
VYBK, Kolkata
7:30 PM
December 5, Saturday
FC Goa vs Mumbai City FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
5:00 PM
December 5, Saturday
Inter Kashi vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant
TBC
7:30 PM
December 6, Sunday
Kerala Blasters FC vs Churchill Brothers
JLN Stadium, Kochi
5:00 PM
December 6, Sunday
NorthEast United FC vs Chennaiyin FC
Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati
7:30 PM
December 9, Wednesday
Odisha FC vs FC Goa
Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
5:00 PM
December 9, Wednesday
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Bengaluru FC
VYBK, Kolkata
7:30 PM
December 10, Thursday
Kerala Blasters FC vs Sporting Club Delhi
JLN Stadium, Kochi
5:00 PM
December 10, Thursday
Chennaiyin FC vs Churchill Brothers
JLN Stadium, Chennai
7:30 PM
December 12, Saturday
Inter Kashi vs NorthEast United FC
TBC
7:30 PM
December 13, Sunday
Mumbai City FC vs East Bengal FC
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
5:00 PM
December 13, Sunday
Churchill Brothers vs FC Goa
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
7:30 PM
December 14, Monday
Kerala Blasters FC vs Punjab FC
JLN Stadium, Kochi
7:30 PM
December 16, Wednesday
Chennaiyin FC vs Inter Kashi
JLN Stadium, Chennai
5:00 PM
December 16, Wednesday
Odisha FC vs Sporting Club Delhi
Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
7:30 PM
December 17, Thursday
Mumbai City FC vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
5:00 PM
December 17, Thursday
Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal FC
Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
7:30 PM
December 20, Sunday
Sporting Club Delhi vs Churchill Brothers
JLN Stadium, Delhi
5:00 PM
December 20, Sunday
Odisha FC vs Kerala Blasters FC
Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
7:30 PM
December 21, Monday
Mumbai City FC vs Inter Kashi
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
5:00 PM
December 21, Monday
East Bengal FC vs NorthEast United FC
VYBK, Kolkata
7:30 PM
December 22, Tuesday
Bengaluru FC vs Punjab FC
Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
5:00 PM
December 22, Tuesday
FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
7:30 PM
January 3, Sunday
East Bengal FC vs Odisha FC
VYBK, Kolkata
January 3, Sunday
Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters FC
Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
7:30 PM
January 7, Thursday
Punjab FC vs Inter Kashi
JLN Stadium, Delhi
7:30 PM
January 8, Friday
Chennaiyin FC vs Odisha FC
JLN Stadium, Chennai
7:30 PM
January 9, Saturday
East Bengal FC vs FC Goa
VYBK, Kolkata
5:00 PM
January 9, Saturday
Churchill Brothers vs Bengaluru FC
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
7:30 PM
January 10, Sunday
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Kerala Blasters FC
VYBK, Kolkata
5:00 PM
January 10, Sunday
Sporting Club Delhi vs Punjab FC
JLN Stadium, Delhi
7:30 PM
January 12, Tuesday
Mumbai City FC vs Odisha FC
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
7:30 PM
January 15, Friday
Punjab FC vs FC Goa
JLN Stadium, Delhi
5:00 PM
January 15, Friday
Odisha FC vs Churchill Brothers
Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
7:30 PM
January 16, Saturday
Bengaluru FC vs Inter Kashi
Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
5:00 PM
January 16, Saturday
Kerala Blasters FC vs East Bengal FC
JLN Stadium, Kochi
7:30 PM
January 17, Sunday
Sporting Club Delhi vs Chennaiyin FC
JLN Stadium, Delhi
5:00 PM
January 17, Sunday
Mumbai City FC vs NorthEast United FC
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
7:30 PM.
