Kolkata : Indian Football League (IFL) will start in heavenly Srinagar for first time. Home team Real Kashmir will take on Nagaland United at TRC Stadium on October 30.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) and participating clubs are keen to take the league a notch higher and believe the opener in Kashmir will help attract attention at the start. “The weather is nice, the valley is the most beautiful at this time of the year, and people from every nook and corner of the country are holidaying here,” Real Kashmir co-owner Arshad Shawl told TOI on Tuesday. “The AIFF would have also felt that this is the best place to start the IFL, since it’s holiday season and a big crowd is expected.”
‘Real Kashmir Football Club’ an eight-part Hindi series, has been nominated in the Drama Series category at the 2026 International Emmy Awards that recognise television series produced outside the US.
“We are celebrating football, celebrating Real Kashmir’s nomination to the Emmy’s. It builds great hype (around) the club, the local talent. It’s the best time,” said Shawl, who describes Real Kashmir as a club that represents resilience, grassroots development, and the transformative power of sport.
Two new clubs to make debut in IFL 2026
This year, IFL will have 2 debutants – Nagaland United (Nagaland) and Samaleswari FC (Odisha) who caught much attention in Durand Cup 2026 and are all set to make debut under coach Jorge Pereyra Diaz. Nagaland have acquired the license of former I-League champions Aizawl FC while Samaleswari have taken over Delhi FC.
