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I-League 3 2025-26 Set To Start From April 27 With 20 Teams Across Four Venues
The 2025-26 I-League 3 season will start on April 27, 2026. It is the fourth tier in Indian men’s football. Twenty clubs will compete across four groups. Each group will use a single round-robin format. The centralised Final Round will follow.
Groups A and B will play in Imphal. Matches are at Khuman Lampak Stadium and SAI Turf Ground. Group C games are in Balaghat, at Mulna Football Stadium. Group D will be hosted in Bengaluru. That venue is the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence.
The four group winners will move into the Final Round. They will be joined by the two best second-placed teams. The Final Round will also be single round-robin at one venue. The top two sides there will gain promotion. They enter I-League 2 2026-27.
A total of 20 clubs are split into four groups. Each pool has five teams. TRAU FC and KLASA FC enter after relegation. Both dropped from I-League 2 2024-25. TRAU FC finished eighth that season. KLASA FC finished ninth in that campaign.
Group compositions
The four groups feature clubs from several states. Group A includes teams from Meghalaya, Sikkim and Odisha. Group B has TRAU FC and traditional outfit Clube de Salgaocar. Group C includes BLG - The Diamond Rock FC. Group D features FC Agniputhra and Techtro Swades United FC.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | FC Raengdai, Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club, Sunrise Club Orissa, ARA FC, Mawlai Sport Club |
| B | TRAU FC, Zinc Football Academy, Clube de Salgaocar, Mumbay Football Club, Samaleshwari SC |
| C | BLG - The Diamond Rock FC, Chhaygaon FC, Citadel Godavari Legends FC, KLASA FC, Kuppuraj FC |
| D | FC Agniputhra, FC Banaras Baghpat, New Friends Club, Dantewada, Techtro Swades United FC, Royal Rangers Football Club |
Opening day fixtures and key ties
Group A will open at Khuman Lampak Stadium on April 27. FC Raengdai meet ARA FC at 09:00 IST. Mawlai Sport Club then face Sikkim Brotherhood FC at 15:00 IST. Group C also starts that day. Matches are in Balaghat.
BLG - The Diamond Rock FC play KLASA FC at 09:00 IST. Kuppuraj FC meet Chhaygaon FC at 16:00 IST. Group D begins on April 27 in Bengaluru. FC Agniputhra face Techtro Swades United FC at 09:00 IST. Royal Rangers Football Club play FC Banaras Baghpat at 16:00 IST.
Group A fixtures – Khuman Lampak Stadium, Imphal
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| April 27, 2026 | FC Raengdai vs ARA FC | 09:00 |
| April 27, 2026 | Mawlai Sport Club vs Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club | 15:00 |
| April 29, 2026 | Sunrise Club Orissa vs Mawlai Sport Club | 09:00 |
| April 29, 2026 | Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club vs ARA FC | 15:00 |
| May 1, 2026 | Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club vs FC Raengdai | 09:00 |
| May 1, 2026 | Sunrise Club Orissa vs ARA FC | 15:00 |
| May 3, 2026 | ARA FC vs Mawlai Sport Club | 09:00 |
| May 3, 2026 | FC Raengdai vs Sunrise Club Orissa | 15:00 |
| May 5, 2026 | Sunrise Club Orissa vs Sikkim Brotherhood Football Club | 09:00 |
| May 5, 2026 | Mawlai Sport Club vs FC Raengdai | 15:00 |
Group B fixtures – SAI Turf Ground, Imphal
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| April 28, 2026 | TRAU FC vs Mumbay Football Club | 09:00 |
| April 28, 2026 | Samaleshwari SC vs Zinc Football Academy | 15:00 |
| April 30, 2026 | Clube de Salgaocar vs Samaleshwari SC | 09:00 |
| April 30, 2026 | Zinc Football Academy vs Mumbay Football Club | 15:00 |
| May 2, 2026 | Zinc Football Academy vs TRAU FC | 09:00 |
| May 2, 2026 | Clube de Salgaocar vs Mumbay Football Club | 15:00 |
| May 4, 2026 | Mumbay Football Club vs Samaleshwari SC | 09:00 |
| May 4, 2026 | TRAU FC vs Clube de Salgaocar | 15:00 |
| May 6, 2026 | Clube de Salgaocar vs Zinc Football Academy | 09:00 |
| May 6, 2026 | Samaleshwari SC vs TRAU FC | 15:00 |
Group C fixtures – Mulna Football Stadium, Balaghat
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| April 27, 2026 | BLG - The Diamond Rock FC vs KLASA FC | 09:00 |
| April 27, 2026 | Kuppuraj FC vs Chhaygaon FC | 16:00 |
| April 29, 2026 | Citadel Godavari Legends FC vs Kuppuraj FC | 09:00 |
| April 29, 2026 | Chhaygaon FC vs KLASA FC | 16:00 |
| May 1, 2026 | Chhaygaon FC vs BLG - The Diamond Rock FC | 09:00 |
| May 1, 2026 | Citadel Godavari Legends FC vs KLASA FC | 16:00 |
| May 3, 2026 | KLASA FC vs Kuppuraj FC | 09:00 |
| May 3, 2026 | BLG - The Diamond Rock FC vs Citadel Godavari Legends FC | 16:00 |
| May 5, 2026 | Citadel Godavari Legends FC vs Chhaygaon FC | 09:00 |
| May 5, 2026 | Kuppuraj FC vs BLG - The Diamond Rock FC | 16:00 |
Group D fixtures – CSE Football Arena, Bengaluru
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| April 27, 2026 | FC Agniputhra vs Techtro Swades United FC | 09:00 |
| April 27, 2026 | Royal Rangers Football Club vs FC Banaras Baghpat | 16:00 |
| April 29, 2026 | New Friends Club, Dantewada vs Royal Rangers Football Club | 09:00 |
| April 29, 2026 | FC Banaras Baghpat vs Techtro Swades United FC | 16:00 |
| May 1, 2026 | FC Banaras Baghpat vs FC Agniputhra | 09:00 |
| May 1, 2026 | New Friends Club, Dantewada vs Techtro Swades United FC | 16:00 |
| May 3, 2026 | Techtro Swades United FC vs Royal Rangers Football Club | 09:00 |
| May 3, 2026 | FC Agniputhra vs New Friends Club, Dantewada | 16:00 |
| May 5, 2026 | New Friends Club, Dantewada vs FC Banaras Baghpat | 09:00 |
| May 5, 2026 | Royal Rangers Football Club vs FC Agniputhra | 16:00 |
Story first published: Friday, April 17, 2026, 18:19 [IST]
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