The Indian Super League begins its 2026/27 season with a competition that looks different from the one that finished in May. Thirteen clubs from eleven cities will take part, the champion is defending a title won on goal difference, and the bottom of last season’s table produced a relegation for the first time in the league’s history.
Who is new
Inter Kashi come up from the I-League after winning the second tier, and Churchill Brothers take a place in the league following the transfer of a licence. Mohammedan were relegated, and Jamshedpur’s withdrawal from the competition means the line-up has been reshaped in a single off-season.
The champions under pressure
East Bengal won the 2025/26 shield on goal difference, level on points with Mohun Bagan. Defending a title won by such a margin is a specific kind of test: the side cannot rely on the aura of a dominant champion, and every narrow win carries the memory of how close the last one was.
What the opening weeks will answer
Three questions matter most in the first month. Whether the promoted clubs can take points early, before the season’s rhythm settles. Whether the clubs that changed coaches in the summer adapt quickly without the ball. And whether the teams that finished last season strongly can carry that form through a winter schedule.
Team news, fixtures and kick-off times will be added to this page as the league confirms them. Until then, the fixtures page and the table are the places to watch.
