The 13th edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) has been officially announced with a few changes, featuring teams from across the country. The tournament holds excitement among football fans.
The ISL is one of the two top-tier football competitions in India alongside the I-League. It was founded in 2014 with 8 teams and since then it has expanded across more teams and venues.
Here in this article, we’ll be exploring all the details that have been revealed, from dates to participating teams, format and key changes ahead of the next season.
ISL 2026–27: Start Date, Format and Participating Teams
The 13th edition of the Indian Super League will start from October 10, 2026. The season will continue until May 2027. The latest season will consist of 163 matches which will be played across eight months.
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Tournament Format
This year the tournament will return to its traditional home and away round-robin format. Teams will compete against each other during the league stage.
Meanwhile the top six teams will advance to the post season play-offs. They will compete for the ISL Cup.
Also, like previous seasons the team that finishes at the top of the table after the league stage will be crowned the Shield Winners. The team will earn a spot in Asian continental competitions.
Participating Clubs
As of current update, a total of 13 teams will take part in the 2026–27 ISL season:
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Bengaluru FC
Chennaiyin FC
East Bengal FC
FC Goa
Kerala Blasters FC
Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Mumbai City FC
NorthEast United FC
Odisha FC
Punjab FC
Sporting Club Delhi
Inter Kashi FC
Churchill Brothers FC(subject to regulatory clearance)
Why Diamond Harbour FC Will Not Participate in ISL 2026–27?
Diamond Harbour FC who earned promotion to the ISL after winning the Indian Football League title, will not participate in the 2026–27 season. The club did not meet the requirement of paying the administrative fee and has forfeited the promotion place.
Consequently, it means that Diamond Harbour FC will not get any points in this season and will remain at the bottom of the league table. The team will lose its ISL position for the next season 2027–28 and will participate in IFL.
ISL Winners List (2014 to 2025)
|
Season
|
Champions
|
Runners-Up
|
|
2014
|
ATK
|
Kerala Blasters FC
|
|
2015
|
Chennaiyin FC
|
FC Goa
|
|
2016
|
ATK
|
Kerala Blasters FC
|
|
2017–18
|
Chennaiyin FC
|
Bengaluru FC
|
|
2018–19
|
Bengaluru FC
|
FC Goa
|
|
2019–20
|
ATK
|
Chennaiyin FC
|
|
2020–21
|
Mumbai City FC
|
ATK Mohun Bagan
|
|
2021–22
|
Hyderabad FC
|
Kerala Blasters FC
|
|
2022–23
|
ATK Mohun Bagan
|
Bengaluru FC
|
|
2023–24
|
Mumbai City FC
|
Mohun Bagan Super Giant
|
|
2024–25
|
Mohun Bagan Super Giant
|
Bengaluru FC
|
|
2025–26
|
East Bengal FC
|
Mohun Bagan Super Giant
|
ATK FC has won it the most times, with 3 titles followed by Chennaiyin FC, Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant who are all tied with 2 titles.