The schedule for the upcoming 2026/27 season of the Indian Super League (ISL), which is set to start on October 10, was announced on Saturday with about 68 percent of the matches set to be played around the weekends. Only “Phase 1” of the schedule has been announced through to January 17, 2027. The league said in its statement that Phase 2 and playoff fixtures will be announced “at a later date”, as will the venue of Inter Kashi’s home fixtures.

The announcement comes just days after the league announced Karan Yadav, former chief commercial officer at JSW sports, as its new chief executive officer as the ISL transitions into a club-led model. FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur thanked fans on social media for demanding that more matches be played in the weekend.

“Getting the first half of the ISL fixtures done felt near impossible: venues up in the air, blackout dates, AFC games. But fans asked for weekend football and we fought for it. Nearly 70% of games are Fri–Sun. Thank you for telling us what matters,” he said in a post on X.

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The opening match of the season will be between Bengaluru FC and Sporting Club Delhi at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, where India held Panama to a 1-1 draw on Friday. East Bengal, who had ended a 22-year wait for a top-flight national league title in the truncated 2025/26 season, start their title defence with a match away from home against Churchill Brothers on October 18. Their great rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant start their campaign earlier on October 12 away to NorthEast United. The first Kolkata derby of the seasons between the two sides will be on November 29.

“Built on fan feedback, the 2026-27 season will place a strong emphasis on weekend football, with 53 of the 78 Phase 1 matches (68%) scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. Matches will primarily be played at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM IST, offering fans more opportunities to follow the league over the weekend,” said the league in its statement.

The league will pause for the FIFA international window from Saturday, November 7 to Friday, November 20, 2026, with no league matches scheduled during this period.