The 2026-27 season of the Indian Football League (IFL) will begin on October 30, with Nagaland and Odisha added as new venues as the league expands its footprint across the country.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the IFL Governing Council at the Football House in New Delhi on Tuesday, with representatives of all 11 participating clubs in attendance.
The upcoming season is set to be a full-fledged home-and-away campaign, following the truncated 2025-26 season. The Governing Council and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) reviewed the previous season and noted encouraging broadcast performance, with viewership reported to be four times higher than in 2024-25.
The Council also approved a regulation allowing a maximum of three foreign players to be on the pitch at any one time during IFL matches in the upcoming season.
The IFL Charter for 2026-27, along with the proposed budget and sponsorship packages, was also discussed during the meeting.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said the meeting was “very cordial” and welcomed the confirmation of the new season dates.
“Last season, despite being a truncated campaign, the league generated a lot of interest, and the viewership figures were very encouraging,” he said.
Satyanarayan said the governing body was now looking forward to a full-fledged home-and-away season, adding that new entrants and venues would bring added excitement to the competition.
As part of preparations for the new season, representatives of the IFL clubs and Satyanarayan also met Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the broadcast partnership for 2026-27.
The two sides expressed hope of continuing their collaboration for the upcoming season.