Indian Football Calendar 2025-26 | Federation Cup Set for a Comeback

To enhance scheduling and fan interaction, the forthcoming Indian football calendar is probably going to see a major overhaul. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is now seriously exploring significant reforms in the wake of the recently finished Kalinga Super Cup, which witnessed poor attendance and few clubs playing second-string sides.

According to RevSportz has learned that the Federation intends to replace the disappointing Super Cup starting in the upcoming season with the historic Federation Cup, which has not been held since 2017.

Indian Football Calendar 2025-26

The Durand Cup, which is set to take place between July 15 and August 25, is anticipated to be the first event of the next season. Five locations will host the tournament: Kokrajhar, Kolkata, Imphal, Shillong, and Jamshedpur. The opening match is probably going to be held in Shillong.

The AIFF is anticipated to schedule the Federation Cup (or the renamed Super Cup) in September, just before the Indian Super League (ISL) kicks off, after the Durand Cup.

The goal of the change is to increase interest in the competition and guarantee that clubs field full-strength teams, which was not the case in the previous Super Cup, which was played at the end of the season.

With mostly empty stands and a lackluster reception, the Kalinga Super Cup failed to attract people, even though an AFC Cup spot was up for grabs. Due to these considerations, the Federation is now considering rescheduling the event from the end of the season to before the ISL.

When ISL 2025-26 Season Will start

With this probable shift, the ISL, which was previously scheduled to kick off in the second week of September, could now kick off in the fourth week of September to give room for the revamped Federation Cup.

But all that would depend on whether everyone involved and the clubs are willing to support back-to-back tournaments prior to the onset of the challenging ISL season.

Will Federation Cup Play along with ISL ?

Certain stakeholders have suggested that the Federation Cup should be conducted alongside the ISL, similar to European domestic cup tournaments in football. But such a system is not likely to become a reality this season with logistical and scheduling issues.

The proposed new format, if sanctioned, has the potential to bring new life into Indian domestic football and bring back the glamour of the Federation Cup as one of the principal tournaments in the calendar.