I-League season to begin on February 21, a week after ISL kicks off

I-League, the second division in Indian men's football, will start on February 21, announced the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday.

Just like the first division, ISL, the I-League had been delayed, with the participating clubs in a state of uncertainty. Today, the owners and representatives from I-League clubs met with AIFF officials in New Delhi to propose the structure and operational framework for the league.

"It was proposed to form a Governing Council and a Managing Committee. This proposal will be placed before the AIFF's Executive Committee (EC). The charter for the Governing Council, along with the roles and responsibilities of the Management Committee, will be presented to the EC for approval," the AIFF said in a statement.

"As per the proposal by the clubs, the I-League 2025-26 season will feature a two-stage format. Stage 1 will see the participating clubs compete in a single-leg home-and-away round-robin format.

"In Stage 2, the teams get divided into two groups. Those that finished in the top half in Stage 1 will advance to a home-and-away championship round, while the bottom half will compete in a centralised relegation round. All points from the initial stage will carry forward to preserve the competitive context of the league.

"The season is scheduled to commence on February 21, 2026. To ensure complete fairness, match scheduling is to be handled by an Al-based system to eliminate human interference. Furthermore, match production will be maintained as per the standards established last season."

Kozhikode-based Gokulam Kerala are Kerala's representatives in the I-League. Kerala Blasters, which plays in the ISL, have chosen Gokulam's ground in Kozhikode as their home base for the season starting February 14.