The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has asked the Indian Football League (IFL) clubs to pay a participation fee ahead of the IFL 2026-27 season.

The Indian Football League (IFL) 2026-27 season will begin on October 30, 2026, with the AIFF confirming a full-fledged home-and-away format for the upcoming campaign.

A major change is the new foreign-player regulation, with clubs allowed to have a maximum of three foreign players on the pitch at a time. The league will also expand its footprint with Nagaland and Odisha added as new venues. The previous season’s broadcast performance was encouraging, with viewership reportedly reaching four times the 2024-25 figure.

All 11 participating clubs were represented at the IFL Governing Council meeting, and at the meeting, the clubs showcased their concerns over the participation fee. MyKhel understands the IFL clubs were asked for a participation fee of Rs 1.20 crore ahead of the new season.

As the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs are paying Rs 1.10 crore as a participation fee, a greater amount for the 2nd-tier teams, who have more financial constraints. After dialogue, the AIFF agreed to reduce the participation fee, as multiple clubs confirmed to this website.

A club official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the amount may be slashed to around Rs 70 lakh, but the confirmation is yet to arrive.

“We are yet to have any confirmation on the IFL participation fee. AIFF agreed to reduce the amount from Rs 1.20 crore, and some assume it will be around the Rs 70-80 lakh mark. We will get the confirmed amount in one or two days.”

The Indian Football League, 2nd tier of professional football in India, is expected to make a robust resumption from this season. After a curtailed competition last term, the IFL will be played in the traditional format.