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~ Champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant host Kerala Blasters at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan & Super Cup champions FC Goa face debutants Inter Kashi at the Fatorda
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 14.02.2026) :: The Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top-tier football league, is all set to roll out with the blockbuster openers on Saturday, February 14, 2026, as we kick off the 2025-26 season. Defending champions and hosts Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Kerala Blasters FC, two clubs who boast of the largest fan bases in Indian football, cross swords in the first match at Kolkata’s hallowed Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).
The 14 ISL clubs will play each other in a single-leg round robin format across 91 matches, with the team who end with the most number of points being crowned champions. All matches will be streamed live on FanCode, and broadcast on Sony Sports Ten 2.
The season opener will be followed by AIFF Super Cup champions FC Goa beginning their campaign against ISL debutants Inter Kashi at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda at 19:30 IST.
Mohun Bagan SG vs Kerala Blasters FC
Mohun Bagan go into the game as favourites given they have the core of their winning squad from last year intact and will have the advantage of playing in front of their passionate home supporters who are expected to be at the ground in numbers.
Mohun Bagan SG head coach Sergio Lobera, speaking on the eve of the match, said, “We are excited to start the season because we have been waiting for this moment for a long time. We need to manage this situation and we are excited about this opportunity to play in front of our supporters in our stadium.
“It will be a difficult season for everyone, but finally, this is the moment to try and find solutions and not find excuses,” he said.
Mariners’ Dimi Petratos said, “It is a very important lesson in life that we have to move on from the past results and look forward. We have to focus on what we have now and give our best.
“We have the best squad in the country and we have trained well and we have come here to win,” he said.
The Blasters however, while also retaining some key players, particularly the Indians, have also brought in good foreign reinforcements in key positions like defence and attack.
Speaking ahead of the match, Kerala Blasters head coach David Català said, “We are going to face the best team in the league tomorrow (Saturday). They have so many good players and we are very excited to come here and play the opening game. It's true that they are the defending champions and best team in the country but in football everything is possible and one never knows what's going to happen. We are focused on tomorrow's game and we will try to get all three points.”
The Mariners’ foreign defensive duo of Scotsman Tom Aldred and Spaniard Alberto Rodríguez, as well as forwards like Australian Dimitri Petratos and Jason Cummings, have a far more settled look about them than the Blasters’ new signings like Guinea defender Oumar Bah or German midfielder Marlon Roos-Trujillo or even French forward Kevin Yoke, all of whom will be playing their first competitive game in the country.
“It's going to be a tough season for us this year. Mohun Bagan is a good team. It's a very good opportunity for us to prove ourselves and start the season on a positive note. I want to thank our fans, who have waited patiently for this game and we will try to do good and make them proud”, said Kerala Blasters midfielder Danish Farooq.
What the hosts and the visitors both have, however, are some of the best Indian players in the country with the likes of Vishal Kaith between the sticks for Mohun Bagan and the likes of Liston Colaco and Anirudh Thapa trying to break the Blasters’ defence manned by Sandeep Singh and Hormipam.
It will also pit exciting young Indian talent that the two teams have in their ranks like Mohun Bagan’s Suhail Ahmad Bhat and Dippendu Biswas, and Blasters winger Nihal Sudeesh.
FC Goa vs Inter Kashi
FC Goa, who have had some match practice this season, playing in the AFC Champions League Two, will look to start the season with a win against ISL debutants Inter Kashi, who were promoted on virtue of being the I-League Champions 2024-2025.
FC Goa head coach Manolo Márquez said ahead of the match, “The preparations have been going well. This team is not just a team but more – they are friends, they are disciplined and training well. My expectations are that it will be a difficult and a very equal game for both the teams.
“Inter Kashi are a very good team with a very experienced coach, someone who has, I think, won everything in India. If we want to win, we will have to be focused and would require not only the 11 players, but also the whole squad,” he said.
The match will be played at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda, Goa, where FC Goa were crowned champions of the AIFF Super Cup in December. The Gaurs will be confident with Manolo Márquez at the helm, and with a solid Indian core. They will receive tough competition from Inter Kashi who are under the tutelage of two-time ISL winner Antonio Habas.
Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Inter Kashi head coach Antonio Habas said, “It's very important to create your first impression. We have to do really good in our first ISL season. We have to take lot of steps in the right direction, but the first step is creating an impression for everyone. We have to give our full energy tomorrow (Saturday), work hard and remain disciplined to get a positive result.”
Sumeet Passi, Inter Kashi captain, said, “We are fully prepared and focused on executing our game plan. Pre-season was important for us to build rhythm and understanding within the squad and we are looking forward to putting in a strong performance. So hopefully everything will be good. We respect every team we face and I think we are going to face a very tough team tomorrow.”
The wait is over. The Indian Super League (ISL) is set to return, bringing with it the passion, drama, and promise that have redefined the landscape of Indian football over the past decade. As the new season kicks off, anticipation is building across clubs, players, and the fans, who have been waiting patiently for the new season.
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