Indian Football League To Start From October 16th
The decisions were taken at the IFL Governing Council meeting held at the Football House on Monday
XtraTime Newsdesk: The 2026-2027 Indian Football League (IFL) season will begin on October 16 and clubs will be allowed to field up to three foreign players in their starting line-up as part of measures to give local players more playing time. The decisions were taken at the IFL Governing Council meeting held at the Football House on Monday. The meeting was attended by representatives of 10 of the 11 participating clubs, with Mohammedan Sporting Club the only absentee. The Board of Governors and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) also reviewed the league's broadcast performance, with the 2025-26 season attracting 17.56 million live viewers despite being a truncated campaign.
To strengthen youth development, the clubs have agreed to enroll in the AIFF Academy Accreditation Program and achieve at least two-star accreditation ahead of the 2027/28 season. They have also committed to upgrading their academies to achieve at least three-star accreditation by 2030.
AIFF Deputy General Secretary M. Satyanarayan said the meeting reviewed the performance of the previous season, including broadcast figures and expenditure, and discussed the proposed roadmap and budgets for the upcoming campaign.
"We are pleased that the start date has now been confirmed, and we will work together towards delivering a successful 2026-27 season," Satyanarayan said.