Indian Women’s League ninth season kicks off with eight teams in action

The ninth season of the Indian Women’s League begins on Saturday with eight teams competing in Kolkata and Kalyani. East Bengal defend their crown, Gokulam Kerala chase a fourth title, and newcomers Garhwal United and Sesa debut in top-tier football

Hyderabad: The ninth season of the Indian Women’s League will get underway on Saturday with eight teams set to battle for the title of the best women’s football club in the country.

East Bengal FC, who won their maiden IWL trophy last season, will have the opportunity to defend their title on home soil as the 2025-26 league will be played in a centralised format in Kolkata and Kalyani.

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The IWL crown has seen three different winners in the last three seasons. East Bengal and Odisha FC (2023-24) became champions for the first time, breaking Gokulam Kerala FC’s dominance (the Malabarians had won three consecutive titles from 2020 to 2023). An unexpected subplot of last season was the relegation of Odisha FC, who became the first reigning champions of an Indian top-flight league to be relegated in the subsequent season.

The 2025-26 IWL will be played in a double round-robin format in two equal phases on either side of the Indian senior and U20 women’s teams’ Asian Cup campaigns. The first phase will see each club play seven matches (once against every opponent) from December 20, 2025, to January 9, 2026. The second phase of fixtures will kick off on April 20, 2026, and end on May 10, 2026.

From East Bengal’s quest to become only the second team to defend an IWL title to Gokulam Kerala’s bid to add a fourth star to their crest and Sethu’s long-awaited desire to wrest another trophy, there is no dearth of storylines in the upcoming season. Newly-promoted Garhwal United FC and Sesa Football Academy are eager for their first taste of top-tier football, while Sribhumi FC, who lived up to their dark horses tag last season, will surely be hungry for more this time.