The Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2026-27 season is officially set to begin on November 13. Also the country’s top-tier women’s football league, it was initially scheduled to begin on October 16, but was postponed due to logistical issues.
The 2026-27 season will have eight clubs fighting for the coveted title. The tournament will take place in three venues (Kolkata, Jamshedpur and Bengaluru).
The upcoming season will have six teams from last campaign (East Bengal, Sethu FC, Kickstart FC, Nita Football Academy, Gokulam Kerala FC and Garhwal FC). Meanwhile, HOPS FC and Juba Sangha FC earned promotion through IWL 2 after coming first and second, respectively, in the 2025-26 season.
In an official press release, AIFF Deputy Secretary General M. Satyanarayan said, “The Indian Women’s League remains a cornerstone of the development of women’s football in India. The 2026-27 season will see eight clubs compete for the title, with players across the country looking to make their mark on the national stage. Alongside the IWL, the IWL 2 provides a valuable pathway for clubs and players to progress through the domestic structure. We look forward to an exciting season and remain committed to creating more opportunities for women footballers across India.”
Defending champions East Bengal FC will look to retain their title after an impressive 2025-26 campaign, in which they recorded 13 wins and suffered just one defeat. Their attacking strength was reflected in the individual performances, with Fazila Ikwaput finishing as the league’s top scorer with 20 goals. Nita Football Academy’s Pyari Xaxa and Sethu FC’s Lynda Kom also stood out with their contributions in front of goal, underlining the quality of attacking talent in the competition.
The Indian women’s domestic football calendar was thrown off by a prolonged delay in the AIFF reaching an agreement with Capri Sports over the commercial and marketing rights for IWL and IWL 2. Both parties signed a deal on September 22.