AIFF gets venue choices from 14 ISL clubs ahead of February 14 season start
The clubs have written to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) about the details of the home venues that they intend to play in
Mohun Bagan Super Giant players celebrate with the ISL Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium on April 12, 2025. Bagan, who scored a double last season by winning the Shield and the Cup, have told the AIFF that they will play their home games at the Salt Lake Stadium.
All 14 clubs have officially confirmed their participation for the truncated ISL 2025-26 season on Wednesday.
The clubs have written to the All India Soccer Federation (AIFF) about the details of the home venues they intend to play in. Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya had announced last week that the ISL will begin from February 14.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal have Salt Lake Stadium as their home venue, while Mohammedan Sporting will have Kishore Bharati Stadium as their home venue.
Odisha FC, who have been bidding their time, intend to play at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the venue they have been using.
Inter Kashi have said they would prefer all their matches away.
Upon receiving the letters from clubs, the AIFF wrote to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) about the home and away single-leg format and sought an exemption to keep their Asian Champions League 2 berths intact.
AFC guidelines say that to participate in their club tournaments, a team must play a minimum of 24 matches per season (league and domestic cups combined). ISL clubs cannot meet that target this season.
The parent body officials will meet representatives of the 14 clubs on Tuesday, where governing council policies will be tabled. The board, once formed, will announce the fixtures in the next few days.
As of now, the promotion and relegation (one team), as per the modified constitution, stays.
Odisha FC has not participated in any major tournament this season and, after Sergio Lobera left for Bagan in November, they do not have a head coach. “We have things to do. Need to speak to the Odisha government also regarding the home stadium,” an Odisha FC official said.
Worst is Mohammedan Sporting’s scenario. They have a two-window transfer ban (the ongoing January and the following summer), which bars them from signing any new player — Indian or foreign.
Mohammedan Sporting will have to do with the players they have at their disposal. They also do not have a head coach, with assistant coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo managing the matters.
Facing a financial crisis, Mohammedan Sporting, one of the most-followed clubs in the country, will have to shell out a hefty amount to organize their home matches. “Playing away would have been cheaper, even after taking into
account all the traveling,” joked a Mohammedan Sporting official.
They finished last in the 13-team 2024-25 ISL season, but there were no relegations.
Beating the drop will surely be the main objective of teams like Mohammedan Sporting and Odisha FC.
Bagan and East Bengal are now having their training sessions.
Bagan, in fact, have all the teams—under-14, under-16, under-18, developmental side and the senior team—up and running.
All 14 Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have officially confirmed their participation in the delayed 2025-26 season ahead of the league’s planned start on February 14. According to a PTI report, the clubs have now submitted written confirmation to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), ending uncertainty about whether all teams would take part.
Earlier, some clubs had only agreed to participate “in principle” despite Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announcing on January 6 that the league would resume with all 14 teams. “Yes, all the 14 clubs have confirmed participation in writing,” an AIFF source was quoted as saying by PTI.
Confirmation on venues still awaited
While participation is now confirmed, clarity on venues is still awaited. The AIFF had asked clubs to submit details of their proposed home venues by Monday noon so that work on fixtures, broadcast arrangements and commercial partnerships could commence.
Many clubs have already shared venue details. Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal plan to play at Salt Lake Stadium, FC Goa at Fatorda, Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, and NorthWest United in Guwahati, according to a Times of India report. Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC are also eager to play at home, though their venues may need some upgrades.
However, not all clubs will host home matches. Inter Kashi FC and Mohammedan Sporting have informed the AIFF that they are willing to play all their games away from home this season. Inter Kashi said this decision was made in the larger interest of Indian football, while cost considerations are believed to be a key reason behind Mohammedan Sporting’s move.
Mumbai City FC is yet to finalize their home venue, as the club is waiting for civic body elections to conclude. If the Mumbai Football Arena is unavailable, Goa or Kerala could be considered as alternative venues.
Meanwhile, AIFF chairman Kalyan Chaubey has said that a Governing Council Board will be formed to manage the league and take key commercial decisions. The AIFF and clubs are expected to hold an online meeting on Tuesday to discuss the formation of the governing body, venue matters, and the Request for Proposal (RFP) for selecting broadcast and commercial rights partners.
Financial matters are also on the agenda. The AIFF has proposed a total budget of around Rs 24.26 crore for the season, with an initial contribution of Rs 9.77 crore from the federation and Rs 1 million from each club. The AIFF has also offered clubs the option to pay the participation fee in facilities until June 2026.
The ISL has been in limbo since last July after the AIFF’s commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), put the league on hold due to uncertainty over the Master Rights Agreement, which officially ended in December 2025. A fresh tender for a commercial partner then failed to attract any bidders.
For more such information, connect with us today: : www.globalmediaa.com
