I-League 3 2026-27 Season Set to Kick Off on October 22
Introduction to the Upcoming I-League 3 Season
The 2026-27 season of I-League 3, which is the fourth tier in the Indian men's football league hierarchy, is scheduled to begin on October 22, 2026. Matches will be held in a group-stage format across four different venues, as announced by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Groups and Venues for I-League 3
The tournament will feature the following groups and venues:
| Group | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Group A | TRAU FC, NEROCA FC, Southern Sporting Union, KLASA FC | Khuman Lampak Stadium, Imphal, Manipur |
| Group B | Garhwal Heroes FC, Sher-e-Punjab SC, Corbett FC, Techtro Swades United FC, Ghaziabad City FC | Amenity Football Academy, Rudrapur, Uttarakhand |
| Group C | Kuppuraj FC, Lakecity FC, Nongkseh SS&CC, Godavari FC, Chhaygaon FC | SSA Stadium, Shillong, Meghalaya |
| Group D | Kickstart FC, RT Boys FC, GOG FCC, Zinc Football Academy, Clube de Salgaocar | Duler Stadium, Mapusa, Goa |
Tournament Format and Schedule
The group stage will commence on October 22, with Groups B and C starting their matches. Group A will kick off on October 26, followed by Group D on November 1. The group stage is set to conclude on November 9.
A total of 19 clubs will participate, divided into four groups. The top team from each group, along with the two best second-placed teams, will advance to the six-team play-offs. The leading two teams from the play-offs will earn promotion to the I-League 2 for the 2027-28 season.
In the previous season, Baghpat FC and FC Raengdai were promoted to I-League 2 after finishing as champions and runners-up, respectively.
Teams Participating in the 2026-27 I-League 3
Group A
TRAU FC, NEROCA FC, Southern Sporting Union, KLASA FC
Group B
Corbett FC, Techtro Swades United FC, Ghaziabad City FC, Sher-e-Punjab SC, Garhwal Heroes FC
Group C
Lakecity FC, Godavari FC, Nongkseh SS&CC, Kuppuraj FC, Chhaygaon FC
Group D
Clube de Salgaocar, Zinc Football Academy, RT Boys FC, GOG FCC, Kickstart FC
All matches will be available for live streaming on the Indian Football YouTube Channel.
Match Schedule for 2026-27 I-League 3
Group A – Khuman Lampak Stadium, Imphal
October 26, 2026
Match 1: TRAU FC vs KLASA FC, 09:00 IST
Match 2: NEROCA FC vs Southern Sporting Union, 15:00 IST
October 28, 2026
Match 3: KLASA FC vs Southern Sporting Union, 09:00 IST
Match 4: TRAU FC vs NEROCA FC, 15:00 IST
October 30, 2026
Match 5: NEROCA FC vs KLASA FC, 09:00 IST
Match 6: Southern Sporting Union vs TRAU FC, 15:00 IST
Group B – Amenity Football Academy, Rudrapur
October 22, 2026
Match 1: Corbett FC vs Techtro Swades United FC, 09:00 IST
Match 2: Ghaziabad City FC vs Sher-e-Punjab SC, 15:00 IST
October 24, 2026
Match 3: Techtro Swades United FC vs Ghaziabad City FC, 09:00 IST
Match 4: Garhwal Heroes FC vs Corbett FC, 15:00 IST
October 26, 2026
Match 5: Ghaziabad City FC vs Garhwal Heroes FC, 09:00 IST
Match 6: Sher-e-Punjab SC vs Techtro Swades United FC, 15:00 IST
October 28, 2026
Match 7: Garhwal Heroes FC vs Sher-e-Punjab SC, 09:00 IST
Match 8: Corbett FC vs Ghaziabad City FC, 15:00 IST
October 30, 2026
Match 9: Sher-e-Punjab SC vs Corbett FC, 09:00 IST
Match 10: Techtro Swades United FC vs Garhwal Heroes FC, 15:00 IST
Group C – SSA Stadium, Shillong
October 22, 2026
Match 1: Lakecity FC vs Godavari FC, 09:00 IST
Match 2: Nongkseh SS&CC vs Kuppuraj FC, 17:00 IST
October 24, 2026
Match 3: Kuppuraj FC vs Lakecity FC, 09:00 IST
Match 4: Chhaygaon FC vs Nongkseh SS&CC, 17:00 IST
October 26, 2026
Match 5: Lakecity FC vs Chhaygaon FC, 09:00 IST
Match 6: Godavari FC vs Kuppuraj FC, 15:00 IST
October 28, 2026
Match 7: Chhaygaon FC vs Godavari FC, 09:00 IST
Match 8: Nongkseh SS&CC vs Lakecity FC, 17:00 IST
October 30, 2026
Match 9: Kuppuraj FC vs Chhaygaon FC, 09:00 IST
Match 10: Godavari FC vs Nongkseh SS&CC, 17:00 IST
Group D – Duler Stadium, Mapusa
November 1, 2026
Match 1: Clube de Salgaocar vs Zinc Football Academy, 09:00 IST
Match 2: RT Boys FC vs GOG FCC, 16:00 IST
November 3, 2026
Match 3: Zinc Football Academy vs RT Boys FC, 09:00 IST
Match 4: Kickstart FC vs Clube de Salgaocar, 16:00 IST
November 5, 2026
Match 5: RT Boys FC vs Kickstart FC, 09:00 IST
Match 6: GOG FCC vs Zinc Football Academy, 16:00 IST
November 7, 2026
Match 7: Kickstart FC vs GOG FCC, 09:00 IST
Match 8: Clube de Salgaocar vs RT Boys FC, 16:00 IST
November 9, 2026
Match 9: Zinc Football Academy vs Kickstart FC, 09:00 IST
Match 10: GOG FCC vs Clube de Salgaocar, 16:00 IST.