New Delhi, Dec 19 : The ninth season of the Indian Womenâ??s League will get underway on Saturday with eight teams set to do battle for the title of the best womenâ??s football club in the country. East Bengal FC, who won their maiden IWL trophy last season, will have the opportunity to defend their title on home soil as the 2025-26 league will be played in a centralised format in Kolkata and Kalyani.

The IWL crown has seen three different winners in the last three seasons. East Bengal and Odisha FC (2023-24) became champions for the first time, breaking Gokulam Kerala FCâ??s hegemony (the Malabarians had won three consecutive titles from 2020 to 2023). An unexpected subplot of last season was the relegation of Odisha FC, who scripted some unwanted history by becoming the first reigning champions of an Indian top-flight league to be relegated in the subsequent season.

The 2025-26 IWL will be played in a double round-robin format in two equal phases on either side of the Indian senior and U20 womenâ??s teamsâ?? Asian Cup campaigns. The first phase will see each club play seven matches (once against every opponent) from December 20, 2025, to January 9, 2026. The second phase of fixtures will kick off on April 20, 2026, and will end on May 10, 2026.

From East Bengalâ??s quest to become only the second team to defend an IWL title to Gokulam Keralaâ??s yearn of adding a fourth star to their crest and Sethuâ??s long-awaited desire to wrest another trophy from the favourites, thereâ??s no dearth of storylines to look out for in the upcoming season. Not to mention newly-promoted Garhwal United FC and Sesa Football Academy, who are eager for their first taste of top-tier football, and Sribhumi FC, who lived up to their dark horses tag last season and will surely be hungry for more this time around.

East Bengal FC

No two ways about it, 2025 has been East Bengalâ??s year. In only their third season in the IWL, they were dominant champions after finishing eight points above Gokulam. Since August, the Moshal Girls have been reaping the rewards, travelling across Asia to represent India in the continent. After navigating the preliminary round of the AFC Womenâ??s Champions League in Cambodia, they were pitted against some of Asiaâ??s strongest teams in the group stage in China.

And while their ambitious dreams of making the knockout stage were shattered by a last-minute concession, East Bengal have kept their spirits alive and put on a stupendous show in the SAFF Womenâ??s Club Championship, scoring 13 and conceding none so far. Since Anthony Andrewsâ?? side will contest the final in Nepal on December 20, they will begin their IWL title defence a little later â?? on the leagueâ??s second matchday (December 24 against Sethu FC). A first-ever international trophy ahead of the season would only instil more confidence as East Bengal aim to become only the second team to retain the title.

Gokulam Kerala FC

Into the ninth season of the IWL, and they are still the only team to win the trophy on more than one occasion. Gokulam Kerala reshaped Indian womenâ??s football at the turn of the decade like no other club, but have been fittingly second-best in the last two seasons.

The Malabariansâ?? coaching staff underwent a restructuring during the summer, with new head coach Raman Vijayan at the helm. The former Indian menâ??s international has had five months to prepare his team. Gokulam have made quite a few eye-catching signings, including senior national team players like goalkeeper Shreya Hooda and midfielder Priyadharshini S.

While they will rue the loss of Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput, who scored a staggering 24 goals for them last season and has now signed for East Bengal, they must be happy to have retained Kenyan defender Phoeby Okech, and signed Ghanaian midfielder Sandra Atinga and Mozambique international forward Cidália Daniel Cuta, better known as Ninika.

Sribhumi FC

As a freshly-promoted side, Sribhumi FC exceeded expectations when they ended their debut IWL season in third place. Under Sujata Kar, the AIFF Womenâ??s Coach of the Year, the Barrackpore side will only be aiming for a step above and perhaps present an outside challenge for the title. Thatâ??s evident by Sribhumiâ??s busy off-season, which has been full of signings, including major domestic names like Anju Tamang, Grace Dangmei, Sanju, Kamala Devi and Karishma Shirvoikar.

Theyâ??ve also retained their top-scoring duo from last season â?? Bala Devi and Mousumi Murmu, who netted a combined 14 goals. Sribhumi will also look to complement the experienced players with their exciting bunch of youngsters like Sibani Nongmeikapan, Thoibisana Toijam, Anju Kayenpaibam, Arina Nameirakpam and Monalisha Moirangthem, all of whom were part of the Indian squad that qualified for the AFC U20 Womenâ??s Asian Cup.

Kickstart FC

Third, second, third, and fourth. This is where Kickstart FC have finished in the last four IWL seasons. Though never really in the title fight, but ever-present in the top half, their consistency has been remarkable. The Bengaluru side had a tough start last season as no wins in the first six games meant that they spent a few weeks in the relegation zone, but six unbeaten matches to finish the campaign ensured a sixth participation in the IWL.

Head coach Chaoba Devi will lead her third campaign with Kickstart and will hope to maintain the tone right from the start. In the Nigerian trio of Rafiat Titilayo Aweda, Edeh Loveth and Emem Essien Peace, thereâ??s a brand new foreigner line-up for Kickstart. Among the Indians, they have retained a major core of their squad with the likes of Ranjana Sorokhaibam, Linthoingambi Maibam, Linthoingambi Wangkhem, Pakpi Yumlembam, Aruna Bag and Bibicha Laishram.

Sethu FC

One of the only three former champions in the IWL line-up this season, Sethu FC havenâ??t come close to affixing a second star to their crest since 2021-22 when they finished runners-up, just three points adrift of Gokulam. The Madurai side have been fourth and fifth in the last two seasons, struggling for consistency and failing to win two matches in a row since 2023.

There is, however, renewed belief, with new head coach Manoj Joshi and many new attacking signings like India international Lynda Kom, and the Ghanaian duo of Doreen Graham and Abigail Antwi. The return of Nepal international goalkeeper Anjila Subba and the signing of Blue Tigresses centre-back Martina Thokchom may give them the defensive stability they require. Winger Malavika P, midfielder Babina Lisham and defender Nirmala Phanjoubam played every game for Sethu last season and are expected to be part of their core again.

Nita Football Academy

Despite a fairly decent start, Nita FA ended the campaign winless in the last five games and avoided relegation in their debut IWL season by only two points. Results elsewhere gave Paromita Sitâ??s side a new lease of life and the local coach will hope for a more comfortable stay in their second top-flight season. While their highest scorer Rahama Jafaru is no longer with the club, Nitaâ??s big-name signing Pyari Xaxa, who has been one of Indiaâ??s most prolific scorers in recent times, will be eager to fill those boots. Other significant signings include a few India U20 players like Neha, Cindy Colney and Bhumika Khumukcham, Ghanaâ??s Matilda Kwao and attacking midfielder Amiratou Nâ??djambara, who will become the first Togolese to play in the IWL.

Garhwal United FC

Garhwal United FC have arrived for their debut IWL campaign amid plenty of excitement. Two seasons ago, they missed out on promotion by only one point, but last season, they engineered a dominant campaign, racking up eight wins out of eight, scoring 28 goals and conceding just once. India U20 international Lhingdeikim scored 12 of those and will be one of Garhwalâ??s standout names in what is the squad with the youngest average age in the IWL this season. Head coach Akshay Unni and his side take pride in a team majorly made up of academy players â?? 70 per cent of them. As far as foreign recruits are concerned, Garhwal have roped in Ghanaian midfielders Ernestina Tetteh and Joyce Larbi.

Sesa Football Academy

Courtesy of their third-place finish in the IWL 2 last season, Sesa Football Academy will become the first Goan side to feature in the IWL since Churchill Brothers in 2022-23. There have been numerous changes in their squad, with only seven players from the IWL 2 campaign remaining with the club. However, those do include some of their key names like forward Aniela Barretto, midfielders Flani Costa, Arpita Pednekar and defender Alisha Tavares.

A lot will ride on their foreign signings â?? Kenyan forward Omita Bertha, who turned out for Sethu FC in 2023-24, and Ghanaian midfielder Diana Antwi. Having a local squad with limited national-level experience, Sesaâ??s main goal will be to punch above their weight and avoid relegation in their maiden IWL campaign.

All matches will be streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube channel.

/IANS