Football: Super Cup date 'confirmed' as Indian football season edges closer
AIFF set ‘tentative’ date for Super Cup kick-off
On Thursday, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) made a major announcement after the Super Cup 2025-26 Official Draw at the Football House, setting October 25 as the provisional date for the commencement of the competition.
This year’s Super Cup marks a significant shift from the norm, as usually, the tournament served as the final competition of the season, but will now act as the curtain-raiser for the 2025-26 campaign.
The decision to move the Super Cup to the start of the season comes after the AIFF and the Indian Super League agreed on a new roadmap for football in the country, following a delay to the start of the 2025-26 ISL season.
A total of 16 teams are set to feature in this year’s competition - 12 from India’s top flight and four from the I-League - and the tournament is expected to run until November 22 when the champion will be crowned.
The winner of the Super Cup will secure a Playoff spot in the 2026-27 AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2) campaign, provided that the team has a Premier 1 License under the Indian Club Licensing Regulations for that season.
In the event that the winner of the tournament does not hold the required license, they will still gain entry to continental competition, albeit in the AFC Challenge League, which is the third-tier competition in Asia.
Groups for 2025 Indian Super Cup
As mentioned, a total of 16 teams will participate in the Super Cup this year, and they have been split into four groups, with the tournament expected to feature a group stage followed by single-leg knockout matches, culminating in the grand final on November 22.
Notably, while the Super Cup has been staged at the Kalinga Stadium in four of the last five seasons (except 2023 in Kerala), this year, the tournament is moved to Goa, with the GMC Athletic Stadium and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium selected as the venues.
Super Cup Groups:
Group A: Mohun Bagan SG, Chennaiyin FC, East Bengal FC, Real Kashmir FC
Group B: FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC, NorthEast United FC, Inter Kashi
Group C: Bengaluru FC, Mohammedan Sporting Club, Punjab FC, Gokulam Kerala FC
Group D: Mumbai City FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Hyderabad FC, Rajasthan United FC
