ISL 2026: Kolkata Derby on 3 May, broadcast issue still hangs in balance

Kolkata fans’ agonising wait for season’s first Derby, whose fate was uncertain due to the question mark over the Indian Super League (ISL), ends on 3 May evening at the Salt Lake Stadium. Reigning champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant will take on East Bengal, as per a provisional fixture released by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Monday.

 It took a five-month wait and endless uncertainty in the Indian football fraternity before all the 14 clubs agreed in principle, with some prod from the Union Sports Ministry, to participate in the elite league at a very short notice. A truncated league, which will have 91 matches instead of more than the usual quota of 150-plus games, will kick off with Mohun Bagan hosting Kerala Blasters on 14 February.

 The league is scheduled to finish on May 17 with all seven games in the final game week being held simultaneously. The fixture list, however, is still tentative with the AIFF having released it as part of clarification in response to queries from prospective bidders for the federation’s broadcast rights. The heartening news for football fans is four main broadcasters have shown interest to be in the running for the broadcast rights—Sony Sports, Zee Sports, Fan Code and British media Two Circles.

 Sources in the AIFF confirmed that the ‘draft fixtures’ is by and large a confirmed one unless the broadcasters insist on some changes. An announcement on the broadcasters is expected on 1 February and in case of a lack of takers again, the DD Sports is expected to step in.

 Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will play their home games at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. FC Goa will play at their usual venue, the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, so too is Jamshedpur FC at the JRD TATA Sports Complex in Jamshedpur. Bengaluru FC, NorthEast United and Chennaiyin FC will also play at the Kanteerava Stadium, Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai respectively. SC Delhi and Punjab FC will share use of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

 There are some changes to the venues that the clubs will play at, with perhaps the biggest one being Kerala Blasters’ shift from Kochi to the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode. Inter Kashi will play some of their games at Bhubaneswar while Mohammedan Sporting will play some of their home games at Jamshedpur, according to the tentative fixture list. While this means the century-old club’s supporters will be deprived of their club in action at their backyard, but the eleventh hour announcement and budget contraints has left no option.

 The availability of the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, the Mumbai Football Arena and Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar are all yet to be confirmed.