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 | |
| Organising body | AIFF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007; 19 years ago (2007) (asI-League; succeedingNational Football League) 2026; 0 years ago (2026) (asIndian Football League) |
| Country | India |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 10[1] |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Indian Super League |
| Relegation to | Indian Football League 2 |
| Domestic cup | AIFF Super Cup[2] |
| League cup | Durand Cup |
| International cup | AFC Champions League Two (viaSuper Cup) |
| Current champions | Inter Kashi (1st title) |
| Most championships | Dempo (3 titles) |
| Top scorer | Ranti Martins (214 goals) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Sony Sports SSEN |
| Website | i-league.org |
| Current:2026 Indian Football League | |
TheIndian Football League (IFL), originally known as theI-League, is the men's second professionalfootball division of theIndian football league system, behind theIndian Super League. Administered by theAll India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 11 clubs. It operates as a system ofpromotion and relegation with the Indian Super League (ISL) and theIndian Football League 2.[3]
The competition was founded in 2007 as the successor to theNational Football League, with the first season starting in November 2007.[4][5] The league was launched as India's first top-tier professional football league with the aim to increase the player pool for theIndia national team.[5] I-League operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the I-League 2 and at first only promotion system with the ISL, from the 2022–23 season.[5]
Since the inception of the I-League, a total of ten clubs have been crownedchampions.Dempo have won the most titles in league history, being crowned champions three times.Churchill Brothers,Mohun Bagan,Bengaluru andGokulam Kerala have won the league twice.[6]Inter Kashi,Salgaocar,Aizawl,Minerva Punjab,Chennai City,Roundglass Punjab andMohammedan have won it once.
In 1996, the first domestic league was started in India, known as the National Football League,[7] in an effort to introduce professionalism in Indian football.[7] Despite that ambition, that has not been achieved to this date. During the National Football League days, the league suffered from poor infrastructure and unprofessionalism from its clubs. One of the clubs in the league,FC Kochin, went defunct in 2002 after it was revealed that the club had not paid salaries since 2000, after making up 2.5 crores of losses in a season.[8]
After a decade of decline with the National Football League, the All India Football Federation decided it was time for a change. This resulted in the modern day iteration of the top-tier in India.[9]
After the2006–07 NFL season, it was announced that it would be rebranded as the I-League for the 2007–08 season.[10] The league's first season consisted of eight teams from the previous NFL campaign and two teams from the 2nd Division to form a 10 team league.[10]Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the title sponsors of the previous NFL, were named as the title sponsors of the I-League before the league kicked off in November 2007.[11] The league also announced a change in their foreign-player restrictions with the new rule being that all the clubs could sign four foreigners – three non-Asian and one which must be Asian.[12] The league also announced that, for the first season, matches will be broadcast onZee Sports.[13]
The original ten clubs in the I-League's first season wereAir India,Churchill Brothers,Dempo,East Bengal,JCT,Mahindra United,Mohun Bagan,Salgaocar,Sporting Goa andViva Kerala.
The first I-League match took place on 24 November 2007 betweenDempo andSalgaocar. The match, which took place at theFatorda Stadium inMargao, ended 3–0 in favour of Dempo withChidi Edeh scoring the first goal in league history in the third minute.[14] After eighteen rounds it was Dempo who came out as the first champions in the I-League.[15]Viva Kerala and Salgaocar, however, ended up as the first two teams to ever be relegated from the I-League.[16]
The next season the I-League was expanded from 10 to 12 teams.Mumbai,Chirag United,Mohammedan, andVasco were all promoted from the I-League 2 to make the expansion possible.[17] This however brought up early concerns over how "national" the I-League was. The2008–09 season would see eleven of the twelve teams come from three different cities. The previous season saw all ten teams come from four different cities.[17]Bhaichung Bhutia, then captain of theIndia national team, said that it was thefederations job to spread the game across the country and that it needed to happen.[17]
Regardless of the early criticism, the I-League went on as scheduled and once the 2008–09 season concluded. it was Churchill Brothers who came out on top.[18] Then, before the2009–10 season, the league was once again expanded from 12 teams to 14. In order to make this happen Salgaocar, Viva Kerala,Pune, andShillong Lajong were all promoted from the 2nd Division to the I-League.[19] This helped the I-League retain some criticism about how national the league was as now the league would be played in seven different cities/states:Goa,Kerala,Kolkata,Mumbai,Pune,Punjab, andShillong.[19]
After the 2009–10 season it was Dempo who came out on top for the second time in I-League history.[15]
On 9 December 2010 the All India Football Federation signed a 15-year, 700-crore deal withReliance Industries andInternational Management Group of the United States.[20] The deal gave IMG-Reliance exclusive commercial rights to sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, video, franchising, and rights to create a new football league.[20] This deal came about after the AIFF ended their 10-year deal with Zee Sports five years early.[21]
Two months later, on 8 February 2011, it was reported that twelve of the fourteen I-League clubs held a private meeting in Mumbai to discuss the ongoing issues related to the league.[22] It was never revealed what was exactly talked about at this meeting.[22] Then, on 22 February, it was announced that the same twelve I-League clubs that attended the meeting would not be signing the AFC–licensing papers needed to play in the I-League.[23] The reasoning for this was because the I-League clubs were not happy over the fact that IMG-Reliance had so far done nothing to promote the I-League and that they demanded the I-League be made a separate entity from both the AIFF and IMG-Reliance.[23] At this time however there were rumours that IMG-Reliance had been planning on revamping the I-League along the same lines asMajor League Soccer of the United States for the 2012–13 season.[23]
On 11 March 2012, following the disbanding of two former I-League clubs –JCT andMahindra United, it was announced that the I-League clubs would be forming their own organization known as theIndian Professional Football Clubs Association (IPFCA) in order to safeguard their interest and promote football in India.[24] Every club, except forHAL and AIFF–ownedPailan Arrows, joined the newly formed organization.[24] Soon after, it was announced that there would be a meeting held between the AIFF, IMG-Reliance, and the IPFCA on 20 April 2012. In this meeting, IMG-Reliance would present their plan on how they would grow the I-League but the meeting never occurred for reasons unknown.[25]
Then, on 4 May 2012, the AIFF hosted the last ad hoc meeting – an annual meeting between theAFC and AIFF to assess the growth of Indian football. The AFC president at the time,Zhang Jilong, was also in attendance at this meeting.[26] It was reported that the IPFCA would use this meeting to voice their displeasure at the AIFF and IMG-Reliance but the association never showed up at the meeting.[26]
On 18 June 2012 the IPFCA was officially sanctioned under the Society's Act of 1960.[27]
Despite the ongoing war between the AIFF, IMG-Reliance, and the IPFCA, the league did manage to improve its product on the field and awareness did increase during this period. It all started when the India national team participated in theAFC Asian Cup in2011 for the first time in 27 years.[28] Despite being knocked-out in the group stage after losing all three of their games, India came back home more popular than ever.Subrata Pal, of Pune gained the most popularity after his impressive performances in goal for India during the Asian Cup.[29] At the same time, before the Asian Cup,Sunil Chhetri became the second Indian footballer in the modern footballing era to move abroad when he signed for theKansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer in 2010. He also became the first exported Indian from the I-League.[30]
The league was then given a major boost from its main derby, theKolkata derby, between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. On 20 November 2011, 90,000 people watched at theSalt Lake Stadium as Mohun Bagan defeated East Bengal 1–0.[31] The league also saw more expansion to others areas with the promotion ofUnited Sikkim from the 2nd Division,[32] however, their reign was short lived as financial troubles saw them relegated the next season.[33]
Meanwhile, while the league continued to grow, so did the players' demand. During this period plenty of Indian players were wanted on trial by foreign clubs, mainly in Europe. After his return from MLS, Sunil Chhetri and international teammateJeje Lalpekhlua were called for trials atScottish Premier League sideRangers in 2011.[34] Subrata Pal had trials atRB Leipzig before finally signing forVestsjælland in 2014.[35] AndGurpreet Singh Sandhu underwent trials at thenPremier League sideWigan Athletic and finally signing forStabæk Fotball, Norway in 2014.[36]
At the same time, as Indian players demand abroad increased, the demand for higher quality foreigners in the I-League also increased. FormerA-League player of the year andCosta Rican internationalCarlos Hernández signed withPrayag United before the2012–13 season from theMelbourne Victory.[37]Lebanese internationalBilal Najjarine also signed with Churchill Brothers in 2012.[38]
On 18 May 2016,IMG–Reliance, along with the AIFF and I-League representatives met during a meeting in Mumbai. At the meeting, it was proposed that starting from the 2017–18 season, the Indian Super League becomes the top-tier football league in India while the I-League gets relegated to the second tier, but the idea was not entertained by the I-League representatives.[39]
In 2017,FIFA and theAFC had appointed a committee to look at the footballing landscape in the country which was in disarray due to two simultaneous leagues running together, and come up with solutions to re-establish asingular league pyramid which would be acceptable for everyone.[40] In the month of June, IMG–Reliance, the AIFF and the I-League representatives, met with the AFC inKuala Lumpur in order to find a new way forward for Indian football.[41] The AFC were against allowing the ISL as the premier league in India while the clubs like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan wanted a complete merger of ISL and I-League.[41] A couple weeks later, the AIFF proposed that both ISL and I-League run simultaneously on a short–term basis with the I-League champions retaining the spot for theAFC Champions League qualifying stage, while theAFC Cup qualifying stage spot going to the ISL champions.[42] The proposal from the AIFF was officially approved by the AFC on 25 July 2017, with the ISL replacing the domestic cup competition, theFederation Cup.[43]
On 14 October 2019, the AFC held a summit in Kuala Lumpur, chaired by the AFC Secretary GeneralWindsor John, which involved key stakeholders from the AIFF, theFSDL, the ISL and the I-League clubs, and other major stakeholders to propose a new roadmap to facilitate the football league system in India.[44] Based on the roadmap that was prepared by the AFC and the AIFF at the summit and was finally approved by the AFC Executive Committee on 26 October inDa Nang, in 2019–20 season, ISL will attain the country's top-tier league status, allowing the ISL premiers to play AFC Champions League and the I-League champions to play AFC Cup.[45] In addition, starting with the 2022–23 season, I-League will lose the top-tier status, wherein the champion of the I-League will stand a chance to be promoted to the ISL with no participation fee. In its recommendation for 2024–25, it was agreed to fully implement promotion and relegation between the two leagues, and abolition of parallel league system.[46]
Since the league began in 2007, the rules have changed over the years. Each club plays each other twice during the season, once at home and the other time away. At the end of the season, the club with the most points wins the league and gains promotion to the top flight Indian Super League. In the case of a tie, head-to-head record and the goal difference are looked.[47]
| Club | State/UT | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aizawl | Mizoram | Aizawl | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | 20,000 |
| Chanmari | Mizoram | Aizawl | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | 20,000 |
| Churchill Brothers | Goa | Margao | Raia Panchayat Stadium | 8,000 |
| Dempo | Goa | Panaji | Duler Stadium | 5,000 |
| Diamond Harbour | West Bengal | Diamond Harbour | Naihati Stadium | 25,000 |
| Gokulam Kerala | Kerala | Kozhikode | EMS Stadium | 50,000 |
| Namdhari | Punjab | Bhaini Sahib | Namdhari Stadium | 1,000 |
| Rajasthan United | Rajasthan | Jaipur | Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium | 3,000 |
| Real Kashmir | Jammu & Kashmir | Srinagar | TRC Turf Ground | 11,000 |
| Shillong Lajong | Meghalaya | Shillong | SSA Stadium | 5,000 |
| Sreenidi Deccan | Telangana | Hyderabad | Deccan Arena | 1,500 |
A total of42 clubs have participated so far in the I-League since its inception from 2007, up to the 2025–26 season.The following is a list of clubs that have played in theI-League at any time since its formation in 2007 to the current season. Teams playing in the next season are indicated inbold.
| I-League | |
| Indian Super League | |
| I-League 2 | |
| I-League 3 &State leagues | |
| Defunct clubs | |
| Operational academies |
As of 2025[update]
| Pos. | Team | S | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 1st App | Last / Recent app | Highest finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Churchill Brothers | 15 | 325 | 150 | 90 | 85 | 570 | 394 | 175 | 539 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2007–08 | 2024–25 | 1st |
| 2 | East Bengal | 13 | 276 | 126 | 75 | 75 | 425 | 282 | 143 | 453 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2007–08 | 2019–20 | 2nd |
| 3 | Mohun Bagan | 13 | 276 | 126 | 85 | 65 | 430 | 301 | 129 | 451[48] | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2007–08 | 2019–20 | 1st |
| 4 | Dempo | 9 | 210 | 98 | 57 | 55 | 372 | 242 | 130 | 352 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2007–08 | 2024–25 | 1st |
| 5 | Shillong Lajong | 11 | 240 | 68 | 70 | 103 | 302 | 374 | -96 | 274 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2009–10 | 2024–25 | 5th |
| 6 | Aizawl | 11 | 203 | 69 | 52 | 82 | 269 | 274 | -5 | 259 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2015–16 | 2024–25 | 1st |
| 7 | Salgaocar | 8 | 182 | 70 | 46 | 66 | 258 | 229 | 29 | 256 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2007–08 | 2015–16 | 1st |
| 8 | Gokulam Kerala | 8 | 154 | 72 | 34 | 48 | 263 | 184 | 79 | 246 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2017–18 | 2024–25 | 1st |
| 9 | Sporting Goa | 8 | 178 | 62 | 57 | 59 | 241 | 249 | -8 | 243 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2007–08 | 2015–16 | 3rd |
| 10 | Pune | 6 | 148 | 63 | 45 | 40 | 219 | 168 | 51 | 234 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2009–10 | 2014–15 | 2nd |
| 11 | Mumbai | 9 | 204 | 53 | 72 | 79 | 219 | 281 | -62 | 231 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2008–09 | 2016–17 | 5th |
| 12 | Real Kashmir | 7 | 135 | 53 | 46 | 36 | 181 | 146 | 35 | 205 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2018–19 | 2024–25 | 3rd |
| 13 | United | 6 | 150 | 48 | 55 | 47 | 202 | 200 | 2 | 199 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2008–09 | 2013–14 | 4th |
| 14 | Punjab(includingMinerva Punjab season records) | 7 | 127 | 52 | 35 | 40 | 170 | 149 | 21 | 191 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2016–17 | 2022–23 | 1st |
| 15 | Mohammedan | 6 | 125 | 49 | 34 | 42 | 174 | 161 | 13 | 181 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2008–09 | 2023–24 | 1st |
| 16 | Indian Arrows | 9 | 178 | 38 | 43 | 97 | 143 | 287 | -144 | 157 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2010–11 | 2021–22 | 8th |
| 17 | Sreenidi Deccan | 4 | 86 | 43 | 21 | 22 | 159 | 111 | 48 | 150 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2021–22 | 2024–25 | 2nd |
| 18 | Bengaluru | 4 | 78 | 42 | 20 | 16 | 131 | 79 | 52 | 146 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2013–14 | 2016–17 | 1st |
| 19 | NEROCA | 7 | 132 | 38 | 30 | 64 | 155 | 211 | -56 | 144 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2017–18 | 2023–24 | 2nd |
| 20 | Air India | 6 | 144 | 33 | 45 | 66 | 142 | 249 | -107 | 144 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2007–08 | 2012–13 | 8th |
| 21 | TRAU | 6 | 112 | 36 | 25 | 51 | 134 | 178 | -44 | 133 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2019–20 | 2023–24 | 3rd |
| 22 | JCT | 4 | 92 | 29 | 27 | 36 | 93 | 100 | -7 | 114 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2007–08 | 2010–11 | 3rd |
| 23 | Chennai City | 5 | 85 | 31 | 21 | 33 | 112 | 126 | -14 | 114 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2016–17 | 2020–21 | 1st |
| 24 | Rajasthan United | 4 | 86 | 27 | 24 | 35 | 109 | 144 | -35 | 105 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2021–22 | 2024–25 | 5th |
| 25 | Mahindra United | 3 | 66 | 25 | 25 | 16 | 97 | 69 | 28 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2007–08 | 2009–10 | 4th |
| 26 | Viva Kerala | 4 | 96 | 22 | 23 | 51 | 96 | 160 | -64 | 89 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2007–08 | 2011–12 | 9th |
| 27 | Inter Kashi | 2 | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 90 | 72 | 18 | 83 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 1st |
| 28 | Namdhari | 2 | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 55 | 72 | -17 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 6th |
| 29 | ONGC | 2 | 52 | 12 | 19 | 21 | 55 | 76 | -21 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2010–11 | 2012–13 | 9th |
| 30 | Sudeva Delhi | 3 | 48 | 13 | 13 | 22 | 42 | 60 | -18 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2020–21 | 2022–23 | 8th |
| 31 | Delhi | 2 | 46 | 14 | 7 | 25 | 65 | 84 | -17 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 6th |
| 32 | DSK Shivajians | 2 | 34 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 38 | 55 | -17 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 7th |
| 33 | HAL | 2 | 52 | 7 | 11 | 34 | 37 | 108 | -71 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 12th |
| 34 | Royal Wahingdoh | 1 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2014–15 | 2014–15 | 3rd |
| 35 | Kenkre | 2 | 39 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 34 | 65 | -31 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 13th |
| 36 | Rangdajied United | 1 | 24 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 29 | 38 | -9 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2013–14 | 2013–14 | 11th |
| 37 | Sporting Bengaluru | 1 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 24 | 42 | -18 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2024–25 | 2024–25 | 11th |
| 38 | Kalyani Bharat | 1 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 28 | -15 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2014–15 | 2014–15 | 11th |
| 39 | United Sikkim | 1 | 26 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 23 | 63 | -40 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2012–13 | 2012–13 | 14th |
| 40 | Vasco da Gama | 1 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 14 | 49 | -35 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2008–09 | 2008–09 | 12th |
| 41 | Diamond Harbour | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2025–26 | 2025–26 | - |
| 42 | Chanmari | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2025–26 | 2025–26 | - |
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Bengaluru |
| 2014–15 | Bharat |
| 2015–16 | DSK Shivajians |
| 2016–17 | Churchill Brothers,Chennai City,Minerva Punjab |
| 2017–18 | Gokulam Kerala |
| 2020–21 | Sudeva Delhi |
| 2021–22 | Sreenidi Deccan |
| 2023–24 | Inter Kashi,Namdhari |
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2022–23 | RoundGlass Punjab |
| 2023–24 | Mohammedan |
| 2024–25 | Inter Kashi |
Since the original National Football League, the Indian league has always been sponsored. When the I-League began in 2007 the last sponsor from the old National Football League,ONGC, were brought in as the sponsors, making the league be known as theONGC I-League.[54] However, after the2010–11 season, the deal with ONGC was not renewed and the I-League was left without a sponsorship deal till 2013.[55] On 24 September 2013, it was announced thattelecommunications company,Airtel would be the new title sponsor of the I-League, thus making the league known as theAirtel I-League.[56] In December 2014, it was announced thatHero MotoCorp would replace Airtel as the title sponsor for the league and hence the league would be known hasHero I-League.[57]The league is currently without a title sponsor, as Hero decided not to renew its sponsorship deal with Indian football after2022–23 season.[58]
| Period | Title sponsor | Tournament name |
|---|---|---|
| 2007–2011 | ONGC | ONGC I-League |
| 2011–2013 | none | I-League |
| 2013–2014 | Airtel | Airtel I-League |
| 2014–2023 | Hero | Hero I-League |
| 2023–present | none | I-League |
| Period | TV telecast | Online streaming |
|---|---|---|
| 2007–2010 | Zee Sports | |
| 2010–2017 | Ten Action,Ten Sports | DittoTV |
| 2017–2019 | Star Sports | Hotstar,JioTV |
| 2019–2022 | 1Sports | Facebook,JioTV |
| 2022–2023 | Eurosport,DD Sports | Discovery plus |
| 2023–2024 | Eurosport | FanCode |
| 2024–present | Sony Sports[59] | SSEN |
The role of thehead coach in the I-League varies from club to club. Some like to appointtechnical orsporting directors as well asmanager-style coaches.[60] The All India Football Federation does impose licensing requirements for head coaches in the I-League, the rule being that the head coach must have anAFC Professional Coaching Diploma in order to coach in the I-League. However, some clubs and coaches likeSubhash Bhowmick,Subrata Bhattacharya,Sukhwinder Singh andBimal Ghosh were known for accepting a technical director role in order to bypass the head coaching requirements.[60] This has bought about a lot of controversial news, most recently being when Churchill Brothers won the I-League after the2012–13 season with Subhash Bhowmick not winning the "Coach of the Year" award, due to being listed as the technical director.[60]
Seeing this, the AIFF technical director,Rob Baan, as well as others, advocated that the federation make it mandatory for both technical directors and head coaches to have an AFC Pro-Diploma.[60] On 14 May 2014 this was officially put into act by the AIFF during their I-League licensing committee meeting.[61]
In terms of coaching performance, after the first seven seasons of the I-League, an Indian head coach has won the I-League four times while a foreign head coach has won it three times.Zoran Đorđević ofSerbia was the first foreign head coach to win the I-League.[62][63]Italian coachVincenzo Alberto Annese became the first coach to win back-to-back I-League titles in2020–21 and2021–22 seasons.
Armando Colaco was the first Indian coach to win the I-League in the league's opening season and he has the most I-League championships at three.[64]Khogen Singh is the latest Indian coach to win the I-League in2017–18 season.[65]
| Nat. | Name | Club | Appointed | Time since appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Victor Lalbiakmawia | Aizawl | 1 October 2024 | 1 year, 137 days |
 | José Hevia | Gokulam Kerala | 6 June 2025 | 254 days |
 | Dimitris Dimitriou | Churchill Brothers | 25 October 2024 | 1 year, 113 days |
| Samir Naik | Dempo | 1 July 2017 | 8 years, 229 days |
| Ishant Singh | Sreenidi Deccan | 28 January 2025 | 1 year, 18 days |
| Vikas Rawat | Rajasthan United | 12 March 2025 | 340 days |
| Bobby Nongbet | Shillong Lajong | 16 September 2022 | 3 years, 152 days |
| Ishfaq Ahmed | Real Kashmir | 27 October 2022 | 3 years, 111 days |
| Harpreet Singh | Namdhari | 25 November 2023 | 2 years, 82 days |
| Kibu Vicuña | Diamond Harbour | 23 February 2023 | 2 years, 357 days |
| Dipankur Sharma | Chanmari | 6 January 2025 | 1 year, 40 days |
| Yan Law | Delhi | 25 June 2023 | 2 years, 235 days |
| Chinta Chandrashekar Rao | Sporting Bengaluru | 1 April 2023 | 2 years, 320 days |
| Head coach | Wins | Winning year(s) | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armando Colaco | 3 | 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12 | Dempo |
 Ashley Westwood | 2 | 2013–14, 2015–16 | Bengaluru |
 Vincenzo Alberto Annese | 2020–21, 2021–22 | Gokulam Kerala | |
 Staikos Vergetis | 1 | 2022–23 | RoundGlass Punjab |
| Kibu Vicuña | 2019–20 | Mohun Bagan | |
 Akbar Nawas | 2018–19 | Chennai City | |
| Khogen Singh | 2017–18 | Minerva Punjab | |
| Khalid Jamil | 2016–17 | Aizawl | |
| Sanjoy Sen | 2014–15 | Mohun Bagan | |
| Mariano Dias | 2012–13 | Churchill Brothers | |
 Karim Bencherifa | 2010–11 | Salgaocar | |
 Zoran Đorđević | 2008–09 | Churchill Brothers | |
 Andrey Chernyshov | 2023–24 | Mohammedan | |
| Antonio López Habas | 2024-25 | Inter Kashi |
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Third place | Winning season | Runners-up season | Third place season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dempo | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12 | 2010–11 | |
| Churchill Brothers | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2008–09, 2012–13, | 2007–08, 2009–10, 2020–21, 2024-25 | 2011–12 |
| Mohun Bagan | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2014–15, 2019–20 | 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17 | 2017–18 |
| Bengaluru | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2013–14, 2015–16 | 2014–15 | |
| Gokulam Kerala | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2020–21, 2021–22 | 2022–23, 2023–24 | |
| Mohammedan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2023–24 | 2021–22 | |
| Salgaocar | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2010–11 | 2013–14 | |
| Minerva Punjab | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2017–18 | ||
| Aizawl | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2016–17 | ||
| Chennai City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2018–19 | ||
| RoundGlass Punjab | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2022–23 | ||
| Inter Kashi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2024-25 | ||
| East Bengal | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19 | 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17 | |
| Sreenidi Deccan | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2022–23, 2023–24 | 2021–22 | |
| Pune | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2012–13 | 2009–10 | |
| NEROCA | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2017–18 | ||
| Real Kashmir | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2018–19, 2024-25 | ||
| JCT | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2007–08 | ||
| Sporting Goa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2008–09 | ||
| Royal Wahingdoh | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2014–15 | ||
| TRAU | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2020–21 |
| Rank | Home | Score | Away | Attendance | Stadium | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | East Bengal | 90,000 | Salt Lake Stadium | 20 November 2011 |
| 2 | Mohun Bagan | 0–1 | East Bengal | 80,000 | Salt Lake Stadium | 24 November 2013 |
| 3 | Mohun Bagan | 2–1 | East Bengal | 63,756 | Salt Lake Stadium | 19 January 2020 |
| 4 | Mohun Bagan | 1–1 | East Bengal | 63,342 | Salt Lake Stadium | 26 January 2016 |
| 5 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | East Bengal | 57,780 | Salt Lake Stadium | 28 March 2015 |
| Season | Total goals | Matches played | Average per game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | 226 | 90 | 2.51[67] |
| 2008–09 | 318 | 132 | 2.41[68] |
| 2009–10 | 486 | 182 | 2.67[69] |
| 2010–11 | 489 | 182 | 2.69[70] |
| 2011–12 | 521 | 182 | 2.88[71] |
| 2012–13 | 530 | 182 | 2.91[72] |
| 2013–14 | 402 | 156 | 2.47[73] |
| 2014–15 | 280 | 110 | 2.55[74] |
| 2015–16 | 186 | 72 | 2.58[75] |
| 2016–17 | 225 | 90 | 2.5[76] |
| 2017–18 | 204 | 90 | 2.27[77] |
| 2018–19 | 303 | 109 | 2.78 |
| 2019–20 | 187 | 69[a] | 2.71 |
| 2020–21 | 216 | 80 | 2.7 |
| 2021–22 | 294 | 114 | 2.58 |
| 2022–23 | 360 | 132 | 2.73 |
| 2023–24 | 503 | 156 | 3.22 |
| Rank | Player | Fee | Year | Transfer out | Transfer in | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Uga Okpara | ₹7 crore (US$830,000) | 2009 | Enyimba | East Bengal | |
| 2 | Odafa Onyeka Okolie | ₹3 crore (US$350,000) | 2011 | Mohun Bagan | Churchill Brothers | |
| 3 | Lester Fernandez | ₹20 lakh (US$24,000) | 2012 | Pune | Prayag United | |
| 4 | Ronaldo Oliveira | ₹10 lakh (US$12,000) | 2019 | Salgaocar | East Bengal |
| Rank | Player | Fee | Year | Transfer out | Transfer in | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Khalid Aucho | ₹4 crore (US$470,000) | 2019 | Churchill Brothers |  Misr Lel Makkasa | [78] |
| 2 | Sunil Chhetri | ₹1.14 crore (US$130,000) | 2014 | Bengaluru | Mumbai City | |
| 3 | Pedro Manzi | ₹1 crore (US$120,000) | 2020 | Chennai City |  Albirex Niigata | |
| 4 | Eugeneson Lyngdoh | ₹90 lakh (US$110,000) | 2014 | Bengaluru | Pune City |
The I-League has been awarding the champion trophy since 2013, whenChurchill Brothers won the league.[88][88] It is modeled along the lines of the champion trophies in the top European leagues.[88] Regarding the trophy, the AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said: "It is the endeavour of AIFF to practice the best principles of other leagues and accordingly we thought to create a more contemporary look to the I-League trophy in line with trophies given in European leagues".[88]
End of the season I-League awards were previously conducted by theFootball Players' Association of India. Currently, the awards includeHero of the league,golden boot, golden glove, the best head coach (Syed Abdul Rahim Award), the best defender (Jarnail Singh Award), the best midfielder and the emerging player of the league.
| Season | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Sunil Chhetri | Bengaluru |
| 2018–19 | Pedro Manzi | Chennai City |
| 2020–21 | Bidyashagar Singh | TRAU |
| 2021–22 |  Marcus Joseph | Mohammedan |
Traditionally, I-League clubs have done well in theAFC Cup. In2008Dempo managed to reach the semi-finals, before being defeated byAl-Safa ofLebanon.[100]East Bengal also managed to reach the semi-finals in2013, before being knocked-out byAl-Kuwait.[101]Bengaluru is the only I-League club to reach the AFC Cup final in2016, losing toAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya ofIraq.[102] However, in theAFC Champions League, no I-League club has ever managed to make it past the qualifiers.[103]
| Season | AFC Cup | Position | AFC Champions League | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Mohun Bagan | Group stage | Dempo | Play-off Round |
| Dempo | Semi-finals | |||
| 2009–10 | East Bengal | Group stage | Churchill Brothers | Play-off Round |
| Churchill Brothers | Round of 16 | |||
| 2010–11 | East Bengal | Group stage | Dempo | Play-off Round |
| Dempo | Round of 16 | |||
| 2011–12 | East Bengal | Group stage | Salgaocar | DNP |
| Salgaocar | Group stage | |||
| 2012–13 | East Bengal | Semi-finals | Churchill Brothers | DNP |
| Churchill Brothers | Group stage | |||
| 2013–14 | Churchill Brothers | Round of 16 | Pune | Qualifying Round 1 |
| Pune | Group stage | |||
| 2014–15 | Bengaluru | Round of 16 | Bengaluru | Preliminary Round 1 |
| East Bengal | Group stage | |||
| 2015–16 | Mohun Bagan | Round of 16 | Mohun Bagan | Preliminary Round 2 |
| Bengaluru | Runners-up | |||
| 2016–17 | Bengaluru | Inter-zone finals | Bengaluru | Preliminary Round 2 |
| Mohun Bagan | Group stage | |||
| 2017–18 | Aizawl | Group stage | Aizawl | Play-off Round |
| Bengaluru | Inter-zone semi-finals | |||
| 2019 | Minerva Punjab | Group stage | Minerva Punjab | Preliminary Round 2 |
| 2018–19 | Chennai City | Cancelled | Chennai City | Preliminary Round 1 |
| 2019–20 | Mohun Bagan | Inter-zone semi-finals | ||
| 2020–21 | Gokulam Kerala | Group stage |
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