Indian Super League Kickoff

by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga

image Indian Super League Kickoff
After months of administrative chaos that nearly paralysed the sport, the 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) finally returns to the pitch today, February 14. Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant host Kerala Blasters in the Kolkata opener, while FC Goa welcomes debutants Inter Kashi later tonight. With the league reduced to just 91 matches (a single-leg round-robin where every team plays only 13 games), the margin for error has vanished. This is a sprint, not a marathon, and the damage from the off-season delay has left several clubs fighting with bare bones squads.

Can Mohun Bagan Super Giant Defend the Crown?

The Mariners enter the 2026 season as the undisputed team to beat. While rivals were decimated by the off-season uncertainty, Mohun Bagan’s hierarchy managed to keep their star-studded core largely intact.

Having reached the last two finals, first as runners-up in 2023 and then as champions last term, the Green and Maroon would feel they can run away with the title once more. 

Under new boss Sergio Lobera, they are the heavy favourites to become the first club to secure back-to-back doubles in this shortened format. Don’t forget to check our Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters prediction before you bet!

New Blood: Inter Kashi and Sporting Club Delhi Join the Elite

Despite the chaos, the ISL has expanded to 14 teams. Inter Kashi, led by the legendary two-time ISL winner Antonio Habas, officially puts Uttar Pradesh on the top-tier map tonight. They arrive with momentum after a legal battle at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed them as I-League champions.

Joining them is Sporting Club Delhi, a club born from the rebranding and relocation of Hyderabad FC. Under the new ownership of the BC Jindal Group, top-flight football returns to the national capital for the first time since 2019. For Delhi fans, this is the resurrection of a footballing identity.

The "Bare Bones" Season: Managing the Foreigner Exodus

The 2025-26 kickoff follows a period of inactivity that saw the league’s foreign talent flee for stability. Kerala Blasters and FC Goa were hit hardest, losing key talismanic figures during the five-month delay. Incredibly, teams like NorthEast United are starting the season with just three foreigners, while others have only two.

This reality turns the spotlight squarely on Indian youngsters. With fewer marquee imports to lean on, the 2026 season will be a homegrown test of depth. In a 13-game dash where one injury could derail a campaign, the reliance on domestic talent has never been higher.

No Safety Net: The Looming Threat of Relegation

The most terrifying prospect for the 14 clubs is the end of the closed league era. Despite pleas to the Sports Ministry to pause the drop, the mandate for relegation remains a looming shadow. In this truncated format, there are no playoffs and no second chances; the team at the top on May 17 wins it all, and those at the bottom face a potential slide into the second tier. For clubs like the newly relocated Sporting Club Delhi, the goal would now be staying alive in a pyramid that has finally started to move.