2026 Reliance Foundation Development League
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| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 December 2025 – 18 April 2026 |
| Champions | Bengaluru FC (3rd title) |
| Next Gen Cup | Bengaluru FC |
| Matches | 255 |
| Goals | 870 (3.41 per match) |
← 2025 2027 → | |
The 2025–26 Reliance Foundation Development League was the fifth season of the Reliance Foundation Development League, developmental football league organised by the Reliance Foundation.[1][2]
The season features 54 teams divided into nine regions, held across multiple regions from 15 December 2025. Mohun Bagan SG are the defending champions.[3]
The whole competition was divided into 4 phases: Regional Qualifiers, Zonal Group Stage, National Group Stage, National Championship Stage.
54 teams were divided into 9 regions for the regional qualifiers, each containing 6 teams. Top 3 teams from each group qualified (except Meghalaya-Assam, ROI-1 and ROI-2, where 2 teams qualified) for Zonal group stage.
The qualified 24 teams were divided into 4 groups of 6 zones, from which top 3 teams from each group qualified for National group stage.[4]
| Phase | Name | Groups | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Regional Qualifiers | 9 | 54 |
| II | Zonal Group Stage | 4 | 24 |
| III | National Group Stage | 2 | 12 |
| IV | National Championship Stage | N/a | 4 |
Teams
Teams are divided into 9 zones for the regional qualifiers, each containing 6 teams.
| State/Region | Venue | Clubs | App (last) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goa | Duler Football Stadium, Mapusa Guirim Football Ground, Guirim |
Churchill Brothers FC Goa | 3rd (2024–25) |
| Clube de Salgaocar | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| Dempo SC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| FC Goa | 5th (2024–25) | ||
| SESA FA | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Sporting Clube de Goa | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| Kerala | TMK Arena, Vadakkencherry | Kerala Blasters FC | 5th (2024–25) |
| Kerala United FC | 2nd (2024–25) | ||
| Kovalam FC | 3rd (2024) | ||
| Parappur FC Kerala | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Real Malabar FC | Debut | ||
| SAI Kollam | 2nd (2024) | ||
| Kolkata | Kalyani Stadium A, Kalyani Barrackpore Stadium, Barrackpore |
Bengal Future Champs | Debut |
| Diamond Harbour FC | 2nd (2024–25) | ||
| East Bengal FC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Mohun Bagan SG | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| United SC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Victoria SC | Debut | ||
| Meghalaya–Mizoram | MFA Ground, Shillong, Meghalaya | 4ForAll FC | 3rd (2024–25) |
| Greenfield FA | 2nd (2024–25) | ||
| Langsning FC | Debut | ||
| NorthEast United FC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Rangdajied United FC | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| Shillong Lajong FC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Mumbai | Reliance Corporate Park, Navi Mumbai | CFCI | 2nd (2024) |
| Iron Born FC | 3rd (2024) | ||
| Maharashtra Oranje FC | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| MYJ–GMSC | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| Millat FC | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| RFYC | 5th (2024–25) | ||
| North | Frontier FC Ground, Chhawla, Delhi Sudeva FC Ground, Civil Lines, Delhi |
Downtown Heroes FC | Debut |
| Inter Kashi FC | Debut | ||
| Punjab FC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Rajasthan United FC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Sporting Club Delhi | 2nd (2022)[5] | ||
| Sudeva Delhi FC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| ROI–1 | SAI Ground, Imphal, Manipur | ASUFII FA | Debut |
| Chhaygaon FC | Debut | ||
| Classic FA | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| Imphal Youth FC | Debut | ||
| SAI-RC | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| Subansiri United FC | Debut | ||
| ROI–2 | JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand Flatlets Ground, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand |
Bidhannagar Municipal SA | Debut |
| Chhattisgarh United FC | Debut | ||
| Football 4 Change Academy | 3rd (2024–25) | ||
| Jamshedpur FC | 5th (2024–25) | ||
| Sports Odisha | Debut | ||
| Zinc FA | 2nd (2024) | ||
| South | HAL SC Ground, Bengaluru, Karnataka | Alchemy IFA | Debut |
| Bengaluru FC | 5th (2024–25) | ||
| Kickstart FC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| Roots FC | 4th (2024–25) | ||
| South United FC | Debut | ||
| Sreenidi Deccan FC | 4th (2024–25) |
Regional qualifiers
Zonal group stage
National group stage
A total of twelve teams progressed to the National group stage from zonal stage.[8][9]
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BFC | FCG | SUD | MBG | SRE | DHB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bengaluru | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 8 | +9 | 19 | Advance to National Championship | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 6–2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | Goa | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 14 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | |||
| 3 | Sudeva Delhi | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 16 | −3 | 14 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | |||
| 4 | Mohun Bagan | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 13 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | |||
| 5 | Sreenidi Deccan | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 23 | −2 | 12 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 4–0 | |||
| 6 | Diamond Harbour | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 17 | −6 | 8 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 3–3 |
Source: RFDL
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PFC | KBFC | DSC | SESA | NEUTD | EBFC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjab | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 9 | +13 | 23 | Advance to National Championship | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–2 | ||
| 2 | Kerala Blasters | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 23 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | |||
| 3 | Dempo | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 15 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | |||
| 4 | SESA | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 15 | −6 | 9 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | |||
| 5 | North East United | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 21 | −8 | 8 | 1–4 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | |||
| 6 | East Bengal | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 18 | −7 | 5 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 |
Source: RFDL
National Championship
Qualification
| Club | Qualified as |
|---|---|
| Bengaluru FC | Group A Champions |
| Punjab FC | Group B Champions |
| FC Goa | Group A Runners-up |
| Kerala Blasters FC | Group B Runners-up |
- Top 3 teams from this stage will qualify for Next Gen Cup.
Bracket
All matches to be played at GMC Athletic Stadium, Bambolim, Goa.
| Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||
| A1 | Bengaluru FC | 7 | 3 | 10 | |||||||
| B2 | Kerala Blasters | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| SF1W | Bengaluru FC | 1 | |||||||||
| SF2W | FC Goa | 0 | |||||||||
| B1 | Punjab FC | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| A2 | FC Goa | 4 | 1 | 5 | Third place | ||||||
| SF1L | Kerala Blasters | 0 | |||||||||
| SF2L | Punjab FC | 6 | |||||||||
Semi-finals 1st legs
| Bengaluru FC | 7–0 | Kerala Blasters |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Referee: Manvir Singh Kalyan
Semi-finals 2nd legs
| Kerala Blasters | 0–3 | Bengaluru FC |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Referee: Manvir Singh Kalyan
Third-place play-off
| Kerala Blasters | 0–6 | Punjab FC |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Referee: Vivek Chhetri
Final
| Bengaluru FC | 1–0 | FC Goa |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Final standing
| Rank | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Bengaluru FC | 23 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 56 | 17 | +39 | 52 | |
 |
FC Goa | 23 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 31 | 23 | +8 | 37 | |
 |
Punjab FC | 23 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 60 | 18 | +42 | 54 | |
| 4 | Kerala Blasters | 23 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 39 | |
| Eliminated in the National group stage | ||||||||||
| 5 | Dempo SC | 20 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 16 | +20 | 37 | |
| 6 | Sudeva Delhi | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 30 | +8 | 34 | |
| 7 | Mohun Bagan | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 35 | 14 | +21 | 33 | |
| 8 | Sreenidi Deccan | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 43 | 32 | +11 | 32 | |
| 9 | SESA | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 30 | 20 | +10 | 32 | |
| 10 | Diamond Harbour | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 22 | +8 | 30 | |
| 11 | NorthEast United | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 49 | 29 | +20 | 29 | |
| 12 | East Bengal | 20 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 36 | 23 | +13 | 29 | |
| Eliminated in the Zonal group stage | ||||||||||
| 13 | South United | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 21 | +9 | 19 | |
| 14 | RF Young Champs | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 19 | |
| 15 | PFC Kerala | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 13 | +1 | 19 | |
| 16 | Bidhannagar Municipal SA | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 14 | +4 | 17 | |
| 17 | Rangdajied United | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 14 | +3 | 15 | |
| 18 | Classic FA | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 15 | |
| 19 | Rajasthan United | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 21 | -4 | 11 | |
| 20 | Real Malabar FC | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 19 | -8 | 11 | |
| 21 | Maharashtra Oranje | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 10 | |
| 22 | Asufii FA | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 25 | -8 | 10 | |
| 23 | Community FC India | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 24 | -17 | 10 | |
| 24 | United SC | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 25 | -16 | 8 | |
| Eliminated in the Regional qualifiers | ||||||||||
| 25 | Jamshedpur FC[a] | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 3 | +35 | 12 | |
| 26 | Langsning SC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 10 | |
| 27 | Zinc FA | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 8 | |
| 28 | Subansiri United FC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 8 | |
| 29 | SC Delhi | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 7 | |
| 30 | Shillong Lajong | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 6 | |
| 31 | Kerala United | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 6 | |
| 32 | Salgaocar FC | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 6 | |
| 33 | SAI RC | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 6 | |
| 34 | Chhayagaon FC | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 6 | |
| 35 | Sports Odisha | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 6 | |
| 36 | Football 4 Change | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 18 | +2 | 5 | |
| 37 | MYJ-GSM | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 4 | |
| 38 | Greenfield FA | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 4 | |
| 39 | Millat FC | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 4 | |
| 40 | SAI Kollam | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 4 | |
| 41 | Downtown Heroes | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 13 | -8 | 4 | |
| 42 | Kickstart FC | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 18 | -14 | 4 | |
| 43 | Alchemy FA | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 3 | |
| 44 | SC de Goa | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 3 | |
| 45 | Iron Born FC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 15 | -10 | 3 | |
| 46 | Victoria SC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 16 | -13 | 3 | |
| 47 | Imphal Youth | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 2 | |
| 48 | Roots | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 15 | -13 | 1 | |
| 49 | Inter Kashi | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 17 | -14 | 1 | |
| 50 | IFA Bengal Future Champs | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 16 | -14 | 1 | |
| 51 | Kovalam | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 14 | -13 | 0 | |
| 52 | Churchill Brothers | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 18 | -16 | 0 | |
| 53 | 4 For All FA | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 38 | -35 | 0 | |
| 54 | Chhatisgarh United | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 50 | -46 | 0 | |