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I-League facts for kids

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I-League
AIFF I-League.svg
Organising body AIFF
Founded 2007; 18 years ago (2007) (as I-League); (succeeding the National Football League)
Country India
Confederation AFC
Number of teams 12
Level on pyramid 2
Promotion to Indian Super League
Relegation to I-League 2
Domestic cup(s) Super Cup
Durand Cup
Current champions Mohammedan (1st title)
Most championships Dempo (3 titles)
Top goalscorer Ranti Martins (214 goals)
TV partners EuroSport
Indian Football (YouTube)

The I-League is a super exciting football league for men in India. It's the second-highest level of football in the country, right below the Indian Super League (ISL). Imagine a ladder, and the I-League is the second step from the top!

Right now, 12 different clubs play in the I-League. Teams can move up to the Indian Super League (this is called promotion) or move down to the I-League 2 (this is called relegation). This system makes every match super important!

The I-League started in 2007. It took over from an older league called the National Football League. The main goal was to create a professional football league in India. This would help find and train more players for the Indian national team. Since 2022–23, the I-League champion can even get promoted to the top-tier ISL!

Since the I-League began, ten different clubs have won the championship. Dempo is the most successful team, winning three times. Churchill Brothers, Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru, and Gokulam Kerala have each won twice. Other teams like Salgaocar, Aizawl, Minerva Punjab, Chennai City, Roundglass Punjab, and Mohammedan have won it once.

The Story of the I-League

I-League logo
The I-League logo used until 2023.

How Indian Football Leagues Started

Back in 1996, India tried to make football more professional by starting the National Football League. But it was tough! Clubs often didn't have good facilities and sometimes even struggled to pay their players. For example, a club called FC Kochin closed down in 2002 because it had lost a lot of money and hadn't paid salaries for years.

After about ten years, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which runs football in India, decided things needed to change. That's how the I-League was born!

The I-League Begins

After the 2006–07 season of the old National Football League, it was announced that the league would be renamed the I-League. The first I-League season kicked off in November 2007. It had eight teams from the old league and two new teams from a lower division, making a total of 10 teams.

A company called Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) became the first main sponsor. The league also changed rules about foreign players. Clubs could now sign four foreign players, but one had to be from an Asian country. Matches were shown on TV by Zee Sports.

The first ten teams in the I-League were Air India, Churchill Brothers, Dempo, East Bengal, JCT, Mahindra United, Mohun Bagan, Salgaocar, Sporting Goa, and Viva Kerala.

The Early Years (2007–2012)

The very first I-League match was played on November 24, 2007. It was between Dempo and Salgaocar. Dempo won 3–0, and Chidi Edeh scored the first goal in I-League history! Dempo became the first I-League champions that season. Sadly, Viva Kerala and Salgaocar were the first teams to be moved down to a lower league.

The next season, the I-League grew from 10 to 12 teams. New teams like Mumbai and Mohammedan joined. However, many teams were from just a few cities, making some people wonder how "national" the league really was. Bhaichung Bhutia, a famous Indian football captain, said the AIFF needed to help football grow all over the country.

Despite these early talks, the I-League continued. Churchill Brothers won the league in 2008–09. Before the 2009–10 season, the league expanded again to 14 teams. This helped spread the game to more cities like Pune and Shillong. Dempo won their second I-League title in 2009–10.

Making the League Better

Even with some disagreements about how the league was run, Indian football started to get more popular. In 2011, the Indian national team played in the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 27 years! Even though they didn't win, players like Subrata Pal became very famous. Also, Sunil Chhetri, another top Indian player, went to play for a team in the USA in 2010. He was the first Indian player from the I-League to play abroad.

The league also got a big boost from the famous Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. In 2011, an amazing 90,000 fans watched a match between these two teams at the Salt Lake Stadium!

As Indian players became more popular, foreign clubs wanted them for trials. Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua even had trials with a Scottish team! Goalkeeper Subrata Pal went to play in Denmark, and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu played in Norway. At the same time, better foreign players started coming to play in the I-League, making the matches even more exciting.

Becoming a Second-Tier League

In 2016, there were talks about making the Indian Super League (ISL) the top football league in India and moving the I-League to the second level. At first, the I-League teams didn't like this idea.

In 2017, FIFA (the world football body) and the AFC (the Asian football body) stepped in to help sort things out. There were two main leagues running at the same time, which was confusing. After many meetings, it was decided that for a short time, both the ISL and I-League would run. The I-League champion would get a spot in the AFC Champions League (Asia's top club competition), and the ISL champion would get a spot in the AFC Cup (Asia's second club competition).

Finally, in 2019, a new plan was approved. From the 2019–20 season, the ISL became the top league in India. The ISL champions would play in the AFC Champions League, and the I-League champions would play in the AFC Cup. Also, starting from the 2022–23 season, the I-League champion would have a chance to be promoted to the ISL without paying any fees. The plan is for full promotion and relegation between the two leagues to happen by 2024–25, meaning teams can move up and down easily.

How the Competition Works

The I-League currently has 12 teams. Each team plays every other team twice during the season: once at their home stadium and once away. Teams get points for winning (3 points) and drawing (1 point). At the end of the season, the team with the most points wins the league! This champion team then gets promoted to the Indian Super League. If teams have the same number of points, they look at their head-to-head record (who won when they played each other) and then goal difference (how many goals they scored compared to how many they let in).

I-League Clubs

A total of 39 clubs have played in the I-League since it started in 2007.

Current Clubs

Further information: 2024–25 I-League



Club State/UT City Stadium Capacity
Aizawl Mizoram Aizawl Rajiv Gandhi Stadium 20,000
Churchill Brothers Goa Vasco Tilak Maidan 5,000
Delhi Delhi New Delhi Namdhari Stadium 1,000
Dempo Goa Panaji Nagoa Ground 10,000
Gokulam Kerala Kerala Kozhikode EMS Stadium 50,000
Inter Kashi Uttar Pradesh Varanasi Kalyani Stadium 20,000
Namdhari Punjab Bhaini Sahib Namdhari Stadium 1,000
Rajasthan United Rajasthan Jaipur Deccan Arena 1,500
Kalyani Stadium 20,000
Real Kashmir Jammu & Kashmir Srinagar TRC Turf Ground 11,000
Shillong Lajong Meghalaya Shillong SSA Stadium 5,000
Sreenidi Deccan Telangana Hyderabad Deccan Arena 1,500
Sporting Bengaluru Karnataka Bangalore Bangalore Football Stadium 8,400

All-Time Team Performance in the I-League

This table shows how all the clubs that have played in the I-League have performed since 2007. Teams playing in the next season are shown in bold. The colors help you see which league they are currently in:

I-League
Indian Super League
I-League 2
I-League 3 & State leagues
Defunct clubs (clubs that no longer exist)
Operational academies (youth training clubs)

As of 2024

Pos. Team S P W D L GF GA GD Pts 1st 2nd 3rd 1st App Last / Recent app Highest finish
1 Churchill Brothers 14 303 139 83 81 525 369 155 499 2 3 2 2007–08 2023–24 1st
2 East Bengal 13 276 126 75 75 425 282 143 453 0 4 3 2007–08 2019–20 2nd
3 Mohun Bagan 13 276 126 85 65 430 301 129 451 2 3 1 2007–08 2019–20 1st
4 Dempo 8 188 90 52 46 337 209 128 322 3 0 1 2007–08 2014–15 1st
5 Salgaocar 8 182 70 46 66 258 229 29 256 1 0 1 2007–08 2015–16 1st
6 Shillong Lajong 10 218 61 63 94 256 353 -97 246 0 0 0 2009–10 2023–24 5th
7 Sporting Goa 8 178 62 57 59 241 249 -8 243 0 0 1 2007–08 2015–16 3rd
9 Aizawl 10 181 63 47 71 234 228 6 236 1 0 0 2015–16 2023–24 1st
8 Pune 6 148 63 45 40 219 168 51 234 0 1 1 2009–10 2014–15 2nd
10 Mumbai 9 204 53 72 79 219 281 -62 231 0 0 0 2008–09 2016–17 5th
11 Gokulam Kerala 7 132 61 30 41 218 155 60 213 2 0 1 2017–18 2023–24 1st
12 United 6 150 48 55 47 202 200 2 199 0 0 0 2008–09 2013–14 4th
13 Punjab (including Minerva Punjab season records) 7 127 52 35 40 170 149 21 191 2 0 0 2016–17 2022–23 1st
14 Mohammedan 6 125 49 34 42 174 161 13 181 1 2 0 2008–09 2023–24 1st
15 Real Kashmir 6 113 43 39 31 150 121 29 168 0 0 1 2018–19 2023–24 3rd
16 Indian Arrows 9 178 38 43 97 143 287 -144 157 0 0 0 2010–11 2021–22 8th
17 Bengaluru 4 78 42 20 16 131 79 52 146 2 1 0 2013–14 2016–17 1st
18 NEROCA 7 132 38 30 64 155 211 -56 144 0 1 0 2017–18 2023–24 2nd
19 Air India 6 144 33 45 66 142 249 -107 144 0 0 0 2007–08 2012–13 8th
20 TRAU 6 112 36 25 51 134 178 -44 133 0 0 1 2019–20 2023–24 3rd
21 Sreenidi Deccan 3 64 36 14 14 125 74 51 122 0 2 1 2021–22 2023–24 2nd
22 JCT 4 92 29 27 36 93 100 -7 114 0 0 1 2007–08 2010–11 3rd
23 Chennai City 5 85 31 21 33 112 126 -14 114 1 0 0 2016–17 2020–21 1st
24 Mahindra United 3 66 25 25 16 97 69 28 100 0 0 0 2007–08 2009–10 4th
25 Viva Kerala 4 96 22 23 51 96 160 -64 89 0 0 0 2007–08 2011–12 9th
26 Rajasthan United 3 64 18 18 28 75 111 -36 72 0 0 0 2021–22 2023–24 6th
27 ONGC 2 52 12 19 21 55 76 -21 55 0 0 0 2010–11 2012–13 9th
28 Sudeva Delhi 3 48 13 13 22 42 60 -18 52 0 0 0 2020–21 2022–23 8th
29 Inter Kashi 1 24 11 8 5 47 41 6 41 0 0 0 2023–24 2023–24 4th
30 DSK Shivajians 2 34 7 12 15 38 55 -17 33 0 0 0 2015–16 2016–17 7th
31 Delhi 1 24 11 2 11 44 40 4 35 0 0 0 2023–24 2023–24 6th
32 HAL 2 52 7 11 34 37 108 -71 32 0 0 0 2010–11 2011–12 12th
33 Royal Wahingdoh 1 20 8 6 6 27 27 0 30 0 0 1 2014–15 2014–15 3rd
34 Kenkre 2 39 6 11 22 34 65 -31 29 0 0 0 2021–22 2022–23 13th
35 Namdhari 1 24 7 6 11 29 40 -11 27 0 0 0 2023–24 2023–24 11th
36 Rangdajied United 1 24 6 7 11 29 38 -9 25 0 0 0 2013–14 2013–14 11th
37 Bharat 1 20 4 6 10 13 28 -15 18 0 0 0 2014–15 2014–15 11th
38 United Sikkim 1 26 2 9 15 23 63 -40 15 0 0 0 2012–13 2012–13 14th
39 Vasco 1 22 2 4 16 14 49 -35 10 0 0 0 2008–09 2008–09 12th
40 Sporting Bengaluru - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Teams Joining the I-League

Teams can join the I-League in two main ways:

  • Direct Corporate Bid: Some clubs can join directly if they meet certain requirements and pay a fee.
  • Promotion from I-League 2: Teams that do well in the I-League 2 (the league below I-League) can earn a spot in the I-League.
Direct corporate bid entered clubs to I-League
Season Clubs
2013–14 Bengaluru
2014–15 Bharat
2015–16 DSK Shivajians
2016–17 Churchill Brothers, Chennai City, Minerva Punjab
2017–18 Gokulam Kerala
2020–21 Sudeva Delhi
2021–22 Sreenidi Deccan
2023–24 Inter Kashi, Namdhari
Promoted clubs from I-League 2 to I-League
Season Clubs
2008 Mumbai, Mohammedan, United, Vasco
2009 Salgaocar, Viva Kerala, Shillong Lajong, Pune
2010 ONGC, HAL
2011 Shillong Lajong, Sporting Goa
2012 ONGC, United Sikkim
2013 Rangdajied United, Mohammedan
2014 Royal Wahingdoh
2015 Aizawl
2015–16 Dempo
2016–17 NEROCA
2017–18 Real Kashmir
2018–19 TRAU
2020 Mohammedan
2021 Rajasthan United, Mumbai Kenkre
2022–23 Delhi, Shillong Lajong
2023–24 Sporting Bengaluru, Dempo

Teams Moving Up or Down

Here's a look at which clubs have been promoted from the I-League to the top-tier Indian Super League or relegated to the I-League 2.

Promoted clubs from I-League to Indian Super League
Season Clubs
2022–23 RoundGlass Punjab
2023–24 Mohammedan
Relegated clubs from I-League to I-League 2
Season Clubs
2007–08 Viva Kerala, Salgaocar
2008–09 Mohammedan, Vasco
2009–10 Sporting Clube de Goa, Shillong Lajong
2010–11 JCT, ONGC
2011–12 Viva Kerala, HAL
2012–13 Air India, United Sikkim
2013–14 Mohammedan
2014–15 Dempo
2015–16 None
2016–17 Mumbai
2017–18 None
2018–19 Shillong Lajong
2019–20 None
2020–21 None
2021–22 None
2022–23 Mumbai Kenkre, Sudeva Delhi
2023–24 NEROCA, TRAU

I-League Team History Timeline

This timeline shows when different teams played in the I-League and where they are now.

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Sponsors of the I-League

The Indian football league has always had sponsors. When the I-League started in 2007, ONGC was the main sponsor, so the league was called the ONGC I-League. After 2011, there was no sponsor for a couple of years.

Then, in 2013, a phone company called Airtel became the new sponsor, and the league was known as the Airtel I-League. In 2014, Hero MotoCorp, a big motorcycle company, took over as the sponsor, and it became the Hero I-League. Hero stopped sponsoring Indian football after the 2022–23 season, so the league is currently looking for a new main sponsor.

Period Title sponsor Tournament name
2007–11 India ONGC ONGC I-League
2011–13 none I-League
2013–14 India Airtel Airtel I-League
2014–2023 India Hero Hero I-League
2023–present none I-League

Where to Watch the I-League

Here's how you could watch I-League matches over the years:

Period TV telecast Online streaming
2007–10 Zee Sports
2010–17 Ten Action, Ten Sports DittoTV
2017–19 Star Sports Hotstar, JioTV
2019–22 1Sports Facebook, JioTV
2022–23 Eurosport, DD Sports Discovery plus
2023– Eurosport YouTube, FanCode

Football Stadiums

Home Stadiums for 2023–24 Season

Aizawl Churchill Brothers Gokulam Kerala Shillong Lajong Namdhari Sporting Bengaluru
Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl Tilak Maidan, Margao EMS Stadium, Kozikode SSA Stadium, Shillong Namdhari Stadium, Bhaini Sahib Bangalore Football Stadium, Bengaluru
Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 5,000 Capacity: 50,000 Capacity: 5,000 Capacity: 1,000 Capacity: 8,400
Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.jpg Tilak Maidan Stadium.jpg Kozhikode EMS Stadium.jpg BFS on a matchday May 2023.jpg
Rajasthan United Real Kashmir Inter Kashi Sreenidi Deccan Delhi Dempo
Rajasthan University Sports Complex,

Jaipur

TRC Turf Ground, Srinagar Kalyani Stadium, Kalyani Deccan Arena, Hyderabad Namdhari Stadium, Bhaini Sahib Nagoa Ground, Panaji
Capacity: 6,000 Capacity: 11,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 1,500 Capacity: 1,000 Capacity: 10,000
Rajasthan University Gate.JPG East Bengal Ultras tifo 2.jpg Players of Churchill Brothers FC Goa reserves in action during a Goa Pro League match against Sporting Goa.jpg

Coaches in the I-League

The head coach is super important for a football team! In the I-League, coaches need a special license called an AFC Professional Coaching Diploma. This makes sure they are well-trained. Sometimes, coaches would take a different role, like "technical director," to get around this rule, which caused some discussion.

To make sure all coaches are highly skilled, the AIFF made it a rule in 2014 that both head coaches and technical directors must have this special diploma.

Indian coaches have won the I-League four times, and foreign coaches have won it three times. Zoran Đorđević from Serbia was the first foreign coach to win. Vincenzo Alberto Annese from Italy was the first coach to win two I-League titles in a row!

Armando Colaco was the first Indian coach to win the I-League, and he has won the most titles (three). Khogen Singh was the most recent Indian coach to win, in the 2017–18 season.

Current coaches in the I-League
Nat. Name Club Appointed Time since appointment
India Malsawmzuala Sailo Aizawl 4 November 2023 1 year, 230 days
India Shareef Khan Gokulam Kerala 31 March 2024 1 year, 83 days
Spain Carlos Santamarina Inter Kashi 29 June 2023 1 year, 358 days
India Samir Naik Dempo 1 July 2017 7 years, 356 days
Portugal Carlos Vaz Pinto Sreenidi Deccan 3 August 2022 2 years, 323 days
India Pushpender Kundu Rajasthan United 1 July 2022 2 years, 356 days
India Bobby Nongbet Shillong Lajong 16 September 2022 2 years, 279 days
India Ishfaq Ahmed Real Kashmir 27 October 2022 2 years, 238 days
Spain Francesc Bonet Churchill Brothers 27 January 2024 1 year, 146 days
India Yan Law Delhi 25 June 2023 1 year, 362 days
India Harpreet Singh Namdhari 25 November 2023 1 year, 209 days
India Chinta Chandrashekar Rao Sporting Bengaluru 1 April 2023 2 years, 82 days
Zico
Former Dempo manager Armando Colaco was the longest serving and most successful manager in the history of the I League.
Winning head coaches
Head coach Wins Winning year(s) Team
India Armando Colaco 3 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12 Dempo
England Ashley Westwood 2 2013–14, 2015–16 Bengaluru
Italy Vincenzo Alberto Annese 2020–21, 2021–22 Gokulam Kerala
Greece Staikos Vergetis 1 2022–23 RoundGlass Punjab
Spain Kibu Vicuña 2019–20 Mohun Bagan
Singapore Akbar Nawas 2018–19 Chennai City
India Khogen Singh 2017–18 Minerva Punjab
India Khalid Jamil 2016–17 Aizawl
India Sanjoy Sen 2014–15 Mohun Bagan
India Mariano Dias 2012–13 Churchill Brothers
Morocco Karim Bencherifa 2010–11 Salgaocar
Serbia Zoran Đorđević 2008–09 Churchill Brothers
Russia Andrey Chernyshov 2023–24 Mohammedan

I-League Champions

Winners of Each Season

Here are the champions, runners-up (second place), and third-place teams for each I-League season.

Season Champions Runners-up Third place Teams
2007–08 Dempo (1/3) Churchill Brothers JCT 10
2008–09 Churchill Brothers (1/2) Mohun Bagan Sporting Goa 12
2009–10 Dempo (2/3) Churchill Brothers Pune 14
2010–11 Salgaocar East Bengal Dempo 14
2011–12 Dempo (3/3) East Bengal Churchill Brothers 14
2012–13 Churchill Brothers (2/2) Pune East Bengal 14
2013–14 Bengaluru (1/2) East Bengal Salgaocar 13
2014–15 Mohun Bagan (1/2) Bengaluru Royal Wahingdoh 11
2015–16 Bengaluru (2/2) Mohun Bagan East Bengal 9
2016–17 Aizawl Mohun Bagan East Bengal 10
2017–18 Minerva Punjab NEROCA Mohun Bagan 10
2018–19 Chennai City East Bengal Real Kashmir 11
2019–20 Mohun Bagan (2/2) Not Awarded 11
2020–21 Gokulam Kerala (1/2) Churchill Brothers TRAU 11
2021–22 Gokulam Kerala (2/2) Mohammedan Sreenidi Deccan 13
2022–23 RoundGlass Punjab Sreenidi Deccan Gokulam Kerala 12
2023–24 Mohammedan Sreenidi Deccan Gokulam Kerala 13
Notes

Team Performance by Number of Wins

This table shows which clubs have won the most I-League titles, and how many times they've been runners-up or finished third.

Club Titles Runners-up Third place Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Third place seasons
Dempo 3 0 1 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12 2010–11
Churchill Brothers 2 3 1 2008–09, 2012–13 2007–08, 2009–10,

2020–21

2011–12
Mohun Bagan 2 3 1 2014–15, 2019–20 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17 2017–18
Bengaluru 2 1 0 2013–14, 2015–16 2014–15
Gokulam Kerala 2 0 2 2020–21, 2021–22 2022–23, 2023–24
Mohammedan 1 1 0 2023–24 2021–22
Salgaocar 1 0 1 2010–11 2013–14
Minerva Punjab 1 0 0 2017–18
Aizawl 1 0 0 2016–17
Chennai City 1 0 0 2018–19
RoundGlass Punjab 1 0 0 2022–23
East Bengal 0 4 3 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17
Sreenidi Deccan 0 2 1 2022–23, 2023–24 2021–22
Pune 0 1 1 2012–13 2009–10
NEROCA 0 1 0 2017–18
JCT 0 0 1 2007–08
Sporting Goa 0 0 1 2008–09
Royal Wahingdoh 0 0 1 2014–15
Real Kashmir 0 0 1 2018–19
TRAU 0 0 1 2020–21

Stats and Players

Highest Attendance Records

These are the I-League matches with the most fans in the stadium!

Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Stadium Date
1 Mohun Bagan 1–0 East Bengal 90,000 Salt Lake Stadium 20 November 2011
2 Mohun Bagan 0–1 East Bengal 80,000 Salt Lake Stadium 24 November 2013
3 Mohun Bagan 2–1 East Bengal 63,756 Salt lake Stadium

19 January 2020

4 Mohun Bagan 1–1 East Bengal 63,342 Salt Lake Stadium 26 January 2016
5 Mohun Bagan 1–0 East Bengal 57,780 Salt Lake Stadium 28 March 2015

Goals Scored Each Season

This table shows how many goals were scored in total, how many matches were played, and the average goals per game each season.

Season Total goals Matches played Average per game
2007–08 226 90 2.51
2008–09 318 132 2.41
2009–10 486 182 2.67
2010–11 489 182 2.69
2011–12 521 182 2.88
2012–13 530 182 2.91
2013–14 402 156 2.47
2014–15 280 110 2.55
2015–16 186 72 2.58
2016–17 225 90 2.5
2017–18 204 90 2.27
2018–19 303 109 2.78
2019–20 187 69 2.71
2020–21 216 80 2.7
2021–22 294 114 2.58
2022–23 360 132 2.73
2023–24 503 156 3.22

Top Goal Scorers

Every season, players try to win the I-League Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals. The most recent winner was Bidyashagar Singh in the 2020–21 season, with 12 goals. Ranti Martins has won the Golden Boot five times, which is the most of any player! He and Odafa Onyeka Okolie (who won three times) are both from Nigeria.

I-League Golden Boot winners
Season Player Club Goals Ref(s)
2007–08 Nigeria Odafe Onyeka Okolie Churchill Brothers 22
2008–09 Nigeria Odafe Onyeka Okolie Churchill Brothers 26
2009–10 Nigeria Odafe Onyeka Okolie Churchill Brothers 22
2010–11 Nigeria Ranti Martins Dempo 30
2011–12 Nigeria Ranti Martins Dempo 32
2012–13 Nigeria Ranti Martins Prayag United 27
2013–14 India Sunil Chhetri Bengaluru FC 14
Scotland Darryl Duffy Salgaocar
Trinidad and Tobago Cornell Glen Shillong Lajong
2014–15 Nigeria Ranti Martins East Bengal 17
2015–16 Nigeria Ranti Martins East Bengal 12
2016–17 Cameroon Aser Pierrick Dipanda Shillong Lajong 11
2017–18 Cameroon Aser Pierrick Dipanda Mohun Bagan 13
2018–19 Spain Pedro Manzi Chennai City FC 21
Trinidad and Tobago Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers S.C.
2019–20 N/A Not Awarded
2020–21 India Bidyashagar Singh TRAU FC 12
2021–22 Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Mohammedan 15
2022–23 Slovenia Luka Majcen RoundGlass Punjab 16
2023–24 Spain Álex Sánchez Gokulam Kerala 19
Top Indian Goal Scorers Each Season
Season Player Club Goals Ref(s)
2007–08 Bhaichung Bhutia Mohun Bagan 9
2008–09 Sunil Chhetri East Bengal 9
2009–10 Mohammed Rafi Mahindra United 13
2010–11 Jeje Lalpekhlua Indian Arrows 13
2011–12 Chinadorai Sabeeth Pailan Arrows 9
2012–13 C. K. Vineeth Prayag United 7
2013–14 Sunil Chhetri Bengaluru 14
2014–15 Thongkhosiem Haokip Pune 7
2015–16 Sunil Chhetri Bengaluru 5
Sushil Kumar Singh Mumbai
2016–17 Sunil Chettri Bengaluru 7
C. K. Vineeth Bengaluru
2017–18 Abhijit Sarkar Indian Arrows 4
Subhash Singh NEROCA
2018–19 Jobby Justin East Bengal 9
2019–20 N/A Not Awarded
2020–21 Bidyashagar Singh TRAU 12
2021–22 Thahir Zaman Gokulam Kerala 5
Shubho Paul Sudeva Delhi
2022–23 Seilenthang Lotjem Sudeva Delhi 6
Samuel Kynshi Real Kashmir
2023–24 Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia Aizawl 15

Awards and Trophies

The I-League Trophy

The I-League started giving out a special, fancy trophy to the champions only since 2013. Before that, the winners received a simpler trophy. The new trophy was designed in Europe and looks like the trophies given out in big European football leagues. The AIFF wanted the I-League trophy to look more modern and exciting, just like other famous league trophies.

Season Awards

At the end of each I-League season, special awards are given out to the best players and coaches. These awards are sponsored by Hero Motocorp. They include:

  • Hero of the League: For the best player overall.
  • Golden Boot: For the player who scores the most goals.
  • Golden Glove: For the best goalkeeper.
  • Syed Abdul Rahim Award: For the best head coach.
  • Jarnail Singh Award: For the best defender.
  • Best Midfielder: For the best player in the middle of the field.
  • Emerging Player of the League: For a young player who shows great promise.

Hero of the League Winners

Season Player Team
2016–17 India Sunil Chhetri Bengaluru
2018–19 Spain Pedro Manzi Chennai City
2020–21 India Bidyashagar Singh TRAU
2021–22 Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Mohammedan

Syed Abdul Rahim Award (Best Coach)

Season Head coach Team
2008–09 England Dave Booth Mumbai
2009–10 India Armando Colaco Dempo
2010–11 Morocco Karim Bencherifa Salgaocar
2011–12 England Trevor Morgan East Bengal
2012–13 India Derrick Pereira Pune
2013–14 England Ashley Westwood Bengaluru
2014–15 India Sanjoy Sen Mohun Bagan
2015–16 England Ashley Westwood Bengaluru
2016–17 India Khalid Jamil Aizawl
2017–18 India Gift Raikhan NEROCA
2018–19 Singapore Akbar Nawas Chennai City
2020–21 India L. Nandakumar Singh TRAU
2021–22 Italy Vincenzo Alberto Annese Gokulam Kerala

Emerging Player of the Season

This award is for young players who show great talent and potential for the future!

Season Player Position Team
2008–09 India Baljit Sahni Forward JCT
2009–10 India Joaquim Abranches Forward Dempo
2010–11 India Jeje Lalpekhlua Forward Pailan Arrows
2011–12 India Manandeep Singh Forward Pailan Arrows
2012–13 India Alwyn George Midfielder Pailan Arrows
2013–14 India Alwyn George Midfielder Dempo
2015–16 India Udanta Singh Winger Bengaluru
2016–17 India Jerry Lalrinzuala Left Back DSK Shivajians
2017–18 India Samuel Lalmuanpuia Midfielder Shillong Lajong
2018–19 India Phrangi Buam Midfielder Shillong Lajong
2020–21 India Emil Benny Forward Gokulam Kerala
2021–22 India Jiteshwor Singh Midfielder NEROCA

I-League Clubs in Asian Competitions

I-League clubs have done quite well in the AFC Cup, which is a big club competition in Asia. For example, Dempo reached the semi-finals in 2008, and East Bengal did the same in 2013. The only I-League club to reach the AFC Cup Final was Bengaluru in 2016, but they didn't win.

However, in the even bigger AFC Champions League, no I-League club has ever made it past the qualifying rounds.

Season AFC Cup Position AFC Champions League Position
2008–09 Mohun Bagan Group stage Dempo Play-off Round
Dempo Semi-finals
2009–10 East Bengal Group stage Churchill Brothers Play-off Round
Churchill Brothers Round of 16
2010–11 East Bengal Group stage Dempo Play-off Round
Dempo Round of 16
2011–12 East Bengal Group stage Salgaocar DNP
Salgaocar Group stage
2012–13 East Bengal Semi-finals Churchill Brothers DNP
Churchill Brothers Group stage
2013–14 Churchill Brothers Round of 16 Pune Qualifying Round 1
Pune Group stage
2014–15 Bengaluru Round of 16 Bengaluru Preliminary Round 1
East Bengal Group stage
2015–16 Mohun Bagan Round of 16 Mohun Bagan Preliminary Round 2
Bengaluru Runners-up
2016–17 Bengaluru Inter-zone finals Bengaluru Preliminary Round 2
Mohun Bagan Group stage
2017–18 Aizawl Group Stage Aizawl Play-off Round
Bengaluru Inter-zone semi-finals
2019 Minerva Punjab Group stage Minerva Punjab Preliminary Round 2
2018–19 Chennai City Cancelled Chennai City Preliminary Round 1
2019–20 ATK Mohun Bagan Inter-zone semi-finals
2020–21 Gokulam Kerala Group stage

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: I-League para niños

  • Football in India
  • History of Indian football
  • List of football clubs in India
  • 2021–23 Indian football club competition play-offs for AFC
  • IFA Shield
  • NFL Second Division
  • NFL Third Division
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I-League Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.