About The Indian Super League (ISL)
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional football league in India, founded on October 21, 2013. It was jointly launched by Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man and chairman of Reliance Industries Group, and the United States-based International Management Group (IMG). Initially featuring 8 teams based in 8 cities including Kolkata and New Delhi, the league adopts an NBA-style format with no promotion or relegation, implements a draft system, and its season runs from October to December every year.
League History
In 2012, an Indian football league announced the signing of former star players such as Fabio Cannavaro, Hernán Crespo, and Jay-Jay Okocha with annual salaries of nearly one million US dollars. This marked the first time an Indian football league attracted global media attention. However, the tournament was ultimately canceled due to issues such as the clubs' FIFA registration and venue usage rights, and Cannavaro, Crespo, and others never took part. In 2013, with the goal of making football a top-tier sport in India and promoting Indian football globally, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch teamed up with Mukesh Ambani—India's richest man and chairman of Reliance Industries Group—to launch the Indian Super League. They aimed to make the ISL one of Asia's most star-studded and high-level football leagues in the future. Similar to the NBA in format, the league initially had 8 teams, no promotion or relegation, and a draft system. Played from October to December, the championship is determined through playoffs.
Current Situation
The league expanded to 10 teams for the 2017-2018 season. In 2017, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially recognized the ISL as India's official league, and Bengaluru Football Club became the first Indian team to participate in the AFC Cup. In 2019, the AFC designated the ISL as India's top-tier league, with its champion qualifying for the AFC Champions League. The tournament requires each team to have a foreign coach and one "marquee foreign player," plus 4 additional foreign player slots, which have attracted international stars such as David Trézéguet. In 2020, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) officially established the ISL as the country's top professional league, ending the dual-track system with the I-League.
