ISL’s new normal: As league starts amid crisis, here are the favourites, challengers and teams playing catch-up

Indian football’s new normal has arrived with the Indian Super League (ISL) finally kicking off on February 14, hoping to rekindle the love of the beautiful game with its fans on Valentine’s Day. After months of impasse, the stakeholders have banded together to come up with a makeshift and truncated version of the country’s top flight football league to ensure compliance with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) guidelines and kickstart the sport at the highest level.

After reports of regular financial losses, overpaid players and unpaid wages and a sharp fall in the ISL’s market value, clubs have decided to downsize operations in the form of contract terminations, staff culling and, in some cases, stadium sharing. This is most visible in the departure of key foreign to players to other Asian leagues – either on loan or permanently – and the hiring of lower budget foreign players who would have usually been on the radar of I-League (now Indian Football League) clubs.

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Some clubs have even decided to go with all Indian squads and Indian head coaches for the next few months as they come to grips with this new reality. This bodes well for young and hungry players hoping to make a mark and get better contracts, and also for coaches who want to prove that they can cut it in the top job.

A temporary format which sees each club play 13 matches in a single leg home-and-away format without a playoff stage will see the team with the most points declared champions and qualify for Asian competition next season. There will be two new entrants – Sporting Club Delhi and Inter Kashi – the former rebranded after taking over Hyderabad FC’s sporting license and the latter after gaining promotion by winning the I-League.

Apart from that, the usual suspects will be in the fray to compete for the title, and more importantly some will be fighting to stave off relegation which has been introduced for the first time in the ISL following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the AIFF’s new constitution.

ISL 2026: The Contenders

It is quite hard to look past Mohun Bagan to run away with the championship having retained almost their entire title-winning squad of last season, including foreign players, and adding further talent to their strong Indian contingent. But their most eye-catching recruit is in the coaching department with ISL stalwart Sergio Lobera taking the reins. On paper, it looks like a match made in heaven, marrying the best squad with one of the best attacking coaches, but stranger things have happened and the pressure that comes by pulling on the Mohun Bagan shirt or in Lobera’s case, a tracksuit or coat, tends to test the biggest of characters.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant remain strong favourites to retain their title heading into the 12th ISL season. PTI

Jamshedpur FC have brought back Owen Coyle, who led them to an ISL Shield in 2021-22 and also kept a hold of their foreign players. Coyle is known to bring the best out of a limited squad and with the addition of attacking midfielder Madih Talal and forward Raphael Messi Bouli, the Men of Steel could run Mohun Bagan close in the title race.

Punjab FC are another club who have been on an upward trajectory since the turn of the decade and their meticulous recruitment has seen them build a young, hungry squad with quality foreign players to challenge for the highest honours. With skipper Nikhil Prabhu anchoring the midfield, technician Dani Ramirez pulling the strings and India’s most coveted talent Muhammad Suhail dazzling on the wings, the Shers are dark horses for the title.

East Bengal have not had it easy over the last 10 years, playing constant second fiddle to arch rivals Mohun Bagan, but they did end their title drought by winning the Super Cup in 2024. The squad, now stable under the leadership of Oscar Bruzon, has reached the deep end of the previous Durand Cup and Super Cup, giving the fans some belief. The club have good Indian attacking options coupled with experienced foreigners and although they are likely to fall short, playing against them will not be easy.

ISL 2026: Playing Catch-Up

Financial uncertainty and budget cuts have taken a big chunk out of the team-building process for ISL heavyweights like Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, Mumbai City FC, Kerala Blasters, and FC Goa. Bengaluru FC have decided to go with former India international Renedy Singh as head coach, promoting him from the assistant role, and while their squad possesses seasoned campaigners like Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke and Ryan Williams, they lack depth and pace in defence.

Two-time ISL champions Chennaiyin FC have also gone with an Indian head coach – appointing Clifford Miranda who led Odisha FC to a Super Cup title – and made a late flurry of foreign signings to add quality to an otherwise average squad. Goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz is yet to find his best form and the defence has not been together very long giving Miranda something to think about when setting up his side on matchdays.

Mumbai City FC face a question mark over their future after their exit from the City Football Group but have a competitive squad for now. Image: ISL

After City Football Group’s exit from Mumbai City, the club faces a question mark over their future but for now they have a decent squad capable of being competitive. Lallianzuala Chhangte and Brandon Fernandes are the senior Indian pros in the dressing room while Jorge Ortiz, Jorge Pereyra Diaz, and Joni Kauko bring ISL-winning experience to the fore. Going by their Super Cup performances where they lost to Rajasthan United, the team is unlikely to finish in the top four.

Kerala Blasters have been public about their financial struggles, problems with the stadium authorities and losing key players but a passionate fanbase still expects the team to be competitive. Their late foreign signings have not inspired much confidence so a good start and home form (they have 8 home games) will be key.

FC Goa under Manolo Marquez are fresh off a tough Asian campaign and while that experience would have helped some of their Indian players, the results will be there for all to see when they take the field with just two foreign players – Dejan Drazic and Pol Moreno. NorthEast United’s X-factor Alaaeddine Ajaraie has also been loaned out weakening their attack at a time when their defence is ageing and creativity is short in demand.

ISL 2026: Safety First

Sporting Club Delhi will be hoping to make a big splash in their debut ISL campaign as they aim to resurrect football culture in the capital but their team-building approach has been understandably conservative given the financial uncertainty. With a squad of young talent and experienced discards, SC Delhi have enough in the tank to survive and also make life difficult for some of the bigwigs.

Inter Kashi’s biggest weapon has to be head coach Antonio Habas – a multiple ISL and now I-League champion – who will be uncompromising in his demands from the players when it comes to effort. The club have recruited well but their problems may lie in the fact they have no home base and will likely play all their matches away from home. Fun fact, they also have a foreign goalkeeper, Lluis Tarres – a rarity in Indian football these days after squad rules limited that number to 4 in the starting lineup.

Odisha FC have not kicked a ball since the end of the previous ISL campaign and as of this day are yet to start training. Their opening fixture against Punjab FC was postponed due to lack of stadium availability and a thin squad with scarce top-level coaching experience is likely to be in a relegation battle.

Mohammedan Sporting Club have decided to go with an all-Indian squad given their transfer bans and investor issues. Under Mehrajuddin Wadoo, the Black Panthers will be hoping to pip Odisha FC to remain in the ISL with both teams lacking the quality required to be competitive at this level.

Looking Ahead

A stop-gap season will certainly satisfy the football craving that fans of Indian football have felt over the last few months but they will hope the new governing structure of the league can avoid another saga in the process of securing commercial and broadcast rights for the upcoming years.

The quality of production, player fitness and league promotion will be scrutinised from the get-go but in this time of crisis, fans should support the game in whatever way possible – attending matches at the stadium, buying the subscription for FanCode and engaging with the clubs – all of whom have together made it possible to keep Indian football alive.

For now, let’s football. At last.