2025–26 I-League 2

4th season of the Indian football third tier From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2025–26 I-League 2 was the 4th season of I-League 2, the third tier of the Indian football league system. Diamond Harbour were the defending champions, having won the 2024–25 I-League 2.[7]

Season2025–26
Dates27 March – 15 May 2026[1][2][3]
Teams10
ChampionsDelhi[4] (2nd title)
Quick facts Season, Dates ...
2025–26 I-League 2
Season2025–26
Dates27 March – 15 May 2026[1][2][3]
Teams10
ChampionsDelhi[4] (2nd title)
PromotedDelhi
Bengaluru United[5]
RelegatedSA Tirur[6]
NEROCA
Matches36
Goals95 (2.64 per match)
Top goalscorerHimanshu Jangra (13 goals)
Biggest home winDelhi 6–1 MYJ-GMSC
(26 April 2026)
Biggest away winSporting Bengaluru 3–5 NEROCA
(21 April 2026)
Highest scoringSporting Bengaluru 3–5 NEROCA
(21 April 2026)
Longest winning runDelhi (4 matches)
Longest unbeaten runDelhi (5 matches)
Longest winless runMYJ-GMSC (4 matches)
Longest losing runMYJ-GMSC (4 matches)
2026–27 →
Close

The season started with Morning Star taking on Sudeva Delhi on 27th March 2026 at KASA Stadium, Diphu, Assam. On 15 May 2026, the final last matchday of the league, Delhi were crowned as champions while Bengaluru United finished as runners-up, with both earning promotion to the 2026–27 Indian Football League. SA Tirur and NEROCA were relegated to the 2026–27 I-League 3.

Developments

  • On 6 January 2026, the AIFF announced that due to shortened season, the 7 I-League 2 clubs and 26 2024–25 I-League 3 clubs would be merged, along with additional 7 clubs to form a 40-member league for this season.[8] However, on 20 February, the federation did a u-turn, declaring that the 2026 Indian Football League 2 would possibly be a 10-club single-leg tournament.[9]
  • Nine clubs will participate in I-League 2, which will be played in a home-and-away single-leg format, with each team playing all opponents once, four at home and four away.[10] Sporting are expected to choose Atal Stadium, Bambolim.[11]
  • SA Tirur withdrew from the tournament citing a lack of funds for travel expenses.[12]

Club changes

The following clubs changed since last season.

More information #, Club ...
# Club Path
Entered I-League 2
1 Sporting Bengaluru Relegation from I-League Fall
2 Delhi[13]
3 Morning Star Promotion from I-League 3 Rise
4 MYJ–GMSC
5 Sudeva Delhi Administratively admitted[14]
Exited I-League 2
1 Diamond Harbour Promotion to IFL Rise
2 Chanmari
3 TRAU Relegation to I-League 3 Fall
4 KLASA
Close

Clubs

2026 Indian Football league 2 group stage clubs
More information Club, Location ...
Club Location Stadium Capacity
Bengaluru United Bengaluru, Karnataka Padukone–Dravid CSE Arena 1 250
MYJ–GMSC Mumbai, Maharashtra Cooperage Ground 5,000
Morning Star Diphu, Assam KASA Stadium 9,000
NEROCA Imphal, Manipur Khuman Lampak Stadium 35,285
Sporting Goa Panaji, Goa Bambolim Stadium 3,000
Sudeva Delhi New Delhi, Delhi Sudeva Residential Academy TBC
United Kalyani, West Bengal Kalyani Stadium 20,000
Sporting Bengaluru Bengaluru, Karnataka HAL Stadium TBC
Delhi New Delhi, Delhi Minerva Academy Ground TBC
Close

Personnel and sponsorship

More information Club, Head coach ...
Club Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Bengaluru United India Nallappan Mohanraj India Faiz Khan Hyve Nimidia
NEROCA India Gift Raikhan India Waikhom Rohit Meitei Vamos
Sporting Goa India Armando Colaco India Joel Colaco Six5Six Models
MYJ–GMSC India Vijith Shetty India Kamlesh Nadar
United India Lal Kamal Bhowmick India Tarak Hembram Trak-Only Aahar Caterer
Sporting Bengaluru India Alex Praveen India Manoj Kannan
Delhi Bhutan Lobzang Dorji India Himanshu Jangra
Morning Star India Khogen Singh Wangkhem India Komalson Rongphar
Sudeva Delhi India Zahid Shafi Mir India Seiminmang Manchong
Close

League table

More information Pos, Team ...
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Delhi (C, P) 8 5 2 1 20 10 +10 17 Promotion to IFL
2 Bengaluru United (P) 8 4 3 1 12 6 +6 15[a]
3 United 8 4 3 1 7 5 +2 15[a]
4 Sporting Bengaluru 8 3 2 3 13 15 −2 11
5 Morning Star 8 2 4 2 10 7 +3 10
6 Sudeva Delhi 8 3 1 4 6 7 −1 10
7 Sporting Goa 8 3 1 4 8 11 −3 10
8 MYJ–GMSC 8 1 2 5 8 19 −11 5[b]
9 NEROCA (R) 8 1 2 5 11 15 −4 5[b] Relegation to IL3
10 SA Tirur (R) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew & relegated to IL3
Close
Source: IFL AIFF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) Head-to-head result; 3) goal difference; 4) goals scored; 5) fair play ranking; 6) drawing of lots.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. [a]
    Tied on head-to-head result and head-to-head goal difference. Total goal difference: Bengaluru United +6, United +2.
  2. [b]
    Head-to-head result: MYJ-GMSC 2–1 NEROCA.

Fixtures and results

More information Home \ Away, DEL ...
Home \ Away DEL BEN USC KAM SCG SCB SUD NER MYJ
Delhi — 2–1 2–1 5–1 6–1
Bengaluru United 3–1 — 1–1 4–1 0–0 2–1
United 1–1 — 1–1 1–0 1–0
Morning Star 0–1 — 1–1 0–0 4–0
Sporting Goa 0–1 — 1–2 1–0 2–1
Sporting Bengaluru 2–0 0–1 — 3–5
Sudeva Delhi 1–2 1–0 0–2 — 1–0
NEROCA 1–1 2–2 0–1 1–3 —
MYJ–GMSC 1–1 0–1 3–3 2–1 —
Close
Source: IFL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Results by games

More information Match, Bengaluru United ...
Match12345678
Bengaluru UnitedDDWWLWWD
Morning StarDLDWLWDD
Sporting BengaluruDDWLLWLW
United SCWWDLWDWD
NEROCADLLLWLDL
MYJ–GMSCDLWLLLLD
DelhiDWWWWLWD
Sudeva DelhiDLLWWLLW
Sporting GoaLWDWLWLL
Close
Source: IFL
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Statistics

Top scorers

As of 15 May 2026
More information Rank, Player ...
Rank Player Club Goals[15]
1 India Himanshu Jangra Delhi 13
2 India Phijam Sanathoi Meitei NEROCA FC 6
3 India Akshunna Tyagi Bengaluru United 4
India Devadath S Sporting Bengaluru
5 India Kevisanyu Peseyie Morning Star 3
India Rahul Paswan
India Akash Tirkey Delhi
India Lijo K Bengaluru United
India Karthick Thirumalai Sporting Bengaluru
10 India Aravindraj Rajan MYJ–GMSC 2
India Shravan Shetty
India Alocious Muthayyan NEROCA FC
India Lalsiem Chongloi Morning Star
India Asif O M Sporting Bengaluru
India Alister Anthony Sporting Goa
India Joyson Regan Gauncar
India Singte George Kom United
India Sumay Shome
India Wungshung Lungleng Delhi
India Md Ejaj Ahamad Sudeva Delhi
Close

Hat-tricks

More information Player, For ...
Player For Against Result Date Ref
India Phijam Sanathoi Meetei NEROCA Sporting Bengaluru 5–3 (A) 20 April 2026 [16]
India Himanshu Jangra Delhi MYJ-GMSC 6–1 (H) 26 April 2026 [17]
India Himanshu Jangra Delhi Sporting Bengaluru 5–1 (H) 9 May 2026 [18]
Close

Discipline

Club discipline

Overall attendances

More information Pos, Team ...
Pos Team Total High Low Average Change
1 Morning Star 19,500 9,300 2,700 5,433 n/a††
2 NEROCA 4,655 1,679 687 1,163 +72.0%†
3 MYJ–GMSC 2,755 1,150 200 688 n/a††
4 United 2,600 1,200 400 650 +136.4%†
5 Sporting Goa 1,421 500 300 355 +21.6%†
6 Sporting Bengaluru 617 452 65 205 −59.2%†
7 Bengaluru United 898 293 100 179 −19.7%†
8 Delhi 715 375 70 178 −97.6%†
9 Sudeva Delhi 600 250 0 150 −41.6%†
League total 33,761 9,300 0 937 +27.5%†
Close

Source: I-League
Notes:
† Delhi and Sporting Bengaluru played in the I-League in the 2024–25 season.
†† Attendance count for MYJ–GMSC and Morning Star starts from this season.

Attendance by home matches

More information Team \ Match played, Total ...
Team \ Match played 12345Total
Bengaluru United293100175130200898
Delhi37517070100N/a715
Morning Star9,3002,7004,3003,200N/a19,500
MYJ–GMSC8235821,150200N/a2,755
NEROCA1,5391,679687750N/a4,655
Sporting Goa500300321300N/a1,421
Sporting Bengaluru45210065N/a617
Sudeva Delhi2000250150N/a600
United4007003001,200N/a2,600
Close

Legend:   Highest   Lowest
Updated to game(s) played on 15 May 2026
Source: I-League

See also

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI