ISL: Top-tier football juggernaut set to roll with blockbuster matches

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 13 (ANI): The Indian Super League (ISL), the country's top-tier football league, is all set to roll out with the blockbuster openers on Saturday, as the 2025-26 season kicks in.
Defending champions and hosts Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Kerala Blasters FC, two clubs that boast of the largest fan bases in Indian football, cross swords in the first match at Kolkata's Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), as per a release from ISL.
The 14 ISL clubs will play each other in a single-leg round-robin format across 91 matches, with the team that ends with the most points crowned champions.
The season opener will be followed by AIFF Super Cup champions FC Goa, who begin 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, while retaining some key players, particularly the Indians, have also brought in strong foreign reinforcements in key positions like defence and attack.
Speaking ahead of the match, Kerala Blasters head coach David Catala 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 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 Rodriguez, 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 well 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 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 from the two teams' ranks, such as 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 the virtue of being the I-League Champions 2024-2025.
FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez 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 is 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 Marquez at the helm, and with a solid Indian core. They will face tough competition from Inter Kashi, 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 Indian football over the past decade. As the new season kicks off, anticipation is building across clubs, players, and fans who have been waiting patiently. (ANI)