ISL preview | Finally, it’s let’s football time

Get ready for the Indian Super League's delayed season kickoff, featuring a new format and exciting matchups this weekend!

Defending champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant will kick off the long-delayed season of the Indian Super League when it hosts three-time runner-up Kerala Blasters at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.

The new edition — delayed by nearly four months — finally gets underway in a truncated format featuring 14 teams.

With limited time remaining in the football calendar, the organiser, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), has opted for a single round-robin format, scrapping the second leg and the traditional playoff stage. The team finishing on top of the table after one round of fixtures (over a three-month-long league) will be crowned champion.

The opening day will feature a double-header. Newly promoted Inter Kashi FC will travel to Goa to face FC Goa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda later in the evening.

A cracker in Kolkata to kick off #ISL12! ⚔️ With less than 24 hours to go, here are the fixtures that round up GW1 of the Indian Super League Season 12. Stay tuned! 🔥Watch the action, live on @FanCode. ⚽️ | @IndianFootball@KeralaBlasters@mohunbagansgpic.twitter.com/imrIQMvKXW

The season’s launch comes as a major relief for participating clubs after months of uncertainty. The league’s future had been in jeopardy following the exit of the Reliance-owned FSDL, which had created and managed the ISL since 2014. Its departure came after the expiry of its Master Rights Agreement with the AIFF, and with no immediate successor stepping forward to take over the agreement, the competition appeared headed towards termination.