INDIAN LEAGUE SYSTEM:

                                        The Indian league was not properly maintained and organised by AIFF till 2007. 2007 was the year when the I-League was introduced in Indian Football, and the league contained 10 clubs across the country. Before the I-League was founded NFL (National Football League) was the highest league in Indian football. In the I-League, Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Churchill Brothers FC were the teams that competed in the first season. It was highly competitive to win the cup because the giants like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal couldn't win the cup. In fact, a club from Goa won the I-League Cup in its first season, and the name of the club was Dempo SC. The way the NFL was organised was devastating, and the clubs were also not proper as they were teams created for corporations and the armed forces. It was not a great technique to play football in India, and it was hard to develop any clubs and players in the NFL. When the I-League was formed, there were only two corporate teams left out of around 7-8 teams, and it was a plus point for the clubs in India. As the game played with other clubs helped them to improve their game and develop a playing style, it helped them to progress. The winner of the I-League will compete in the AFC Champions League, the highest league in Asia for clubs. AFC Champions League was a similar competition to the UEFA Champions League, and Dempo were the club that represented Indian football in the AFC Champions League after winning the I-League in the 07-08 season. But they were knocked out qualifying round to Sharjah FC by 0-3.

                                        In the following season, AIFF introduced the I-League 2 with a promotion and relegation system in which the 2 bottom clubs in I-League will be relegated to I-League 2 and the winner and runner-up and 3rd, 4th placed clubs of I-League 2 to I-League. The first clubs to be relegated to I-League 2 were Viva Kerala and Salgaocar FC, and the first clubs to be promoted to I-League were Vassco, Mohammedan Sporting, Mumbai FC, and United SC(Kolkata-based club). And with the promotion and joining of more clubs boosted the competition among the clubs and there were more matches I-League. There are 12 clubs in the I-League in the 2008/09 season. which helped the player to develop more. The I-League 2 was different from the I-League because it had a group stage where there were 5 clubs in each group, and then the top 2 clubs in each group would continue to compete in the final round to claim the cup and get promoted to the I-League. The Indian football league had a pyramid of 3 major leagues, and then there were state leagues. I-League was the biggest and top league in India, followed by I-League 2.

                                The I-League, in its nascent years from 2007 to 2009, marked a significant transition in Indian football, succeeding the National Football League as the top tier. The inaugural 2007-08 season saw Dempo emerge as champions, while Viva Kerala and Salgaocar faced relegation to the I-League 2nd Division. The subsequent 2008-09 season witnessed an expansion to twelve teams and Churchill Brothers clinching the title, with Mohammedan Sporting and Vasco SC relegated. Simultaneously, the I-League 2nd Division served as the promotion gateway, with Mumbai FC, Mohammedan Sporting, Chirag United, and Vasco SC earning promotion in 2008, followed by Pune FC, Shillong Lajong, Viva Kerala, and Salgaocar in 2009, highlighting the dynamic movement within the Indian football league structure during this period.

National Football League Crisis:

• Poor Infrastructure: Many clubs lacked proper training facilities and stadiums, hindering the overall quality of the league and player development.  
• Financial Instability: Several clubs struggled with financial sustainability, leading to issues like unpaid salaries and even the closure of some teams, such as FC Kochin in 2002. This created an unprofessional environment and insecurity for players.  
• Lack of Professionalism: Beyond financial issues, a general lack of professional management and marketing hampered the league's growth and appeal to fans and sponsors.
• Limited Fan Engagement: The league struggled to attract large crowds and build a strong fan base across the country. Matches often lacked the atmosphere and excitement needed to generate widespread interest.
• Short League Seasons: The NFL seasons were relatively short, which limited the amount of competitive football for players and made it difficult to sustain long-term interest.
• Resistance to Change: Traditional clubs were sometimes resistant to the professionalisation efforts and the new structures of the league.   
• Absence of Promotion and Relegation (initially): The lack of a proper promotion and relegation system in the early years limited competitiveness and the incentive for clubs in lower tiers to improve. 

I-LEAGUE 2 AND 3:

I-League 2:

                     The I-League 2, India’s third-tier men’s professional football league, has been a crucial platform for clubs aspiring to ascend the nation’s football hierarchy.

🏟️ History of I-League 2

Established in 2008 as the I-League 2nd Division, it succeeded the NFL 2nd Division. Initially, multiple teams earned promotion to the I-League each season, but since 2010, typically only the top two teams have been promoted. Notable clubs like Mohammedan Sporting, Mumbai FC, and Salgaocar SC have progressed through this league. In 2022, the league was rebranded as I-League 2, aligning with the restructuring of India’s football league system.

⚽ 2024–25 Season Overview

• Duration: January 25 – April 26, 2025
• Champion: Diamond Harbour FC (1st title)
• Promoted: Diamond Harbour FC, Chanmari FC
• Relegated: KLASA FC
• Matches Played: 34
• Total Goals: 84
• Highest Attendance: 12,000 (KLASA 0–0 TRAU, February 2, 2025)
• Lowest Attendance: 20 (Bengaluru United 1–2 Diamond Harbour, March 2, 2025) 

The season featured nine teams, including clubs relegated from the I-League, promoted from I-League 3, and those retained from the previous I-League 2 season. Sudeva Delhi withdrew before the season commenced.

🏆 Participating Clubs in 2024–25

Club	State	City	Stadium	Capacity
Bengaluru United	Karnataka	Bengaluru	Padukone-Dravid CSE	250
Chanmari FC	Mizoram	Aizawl	Rajiv Gandhi Stadium	20,000
Diamond Harbour FC	West Bengal	Diamond Harbour	Naihati Stadium	25,000
KLASA FC	Manipur	Keinou	Khuman Lampak Stadium	35,285
NEROCA FC	Manipur	Imphal	Khuman Lampak Stadium	35,285
SAT FC	Kerala	Tirur	Payyanad Stadium	30,000
Sporting Goa	Goa	Panaji	Bambolim Stadium	3,000
TRAU FC	Manipur	Imphal	Khuman Lampak Stadium	35,285
United SC	West Bengal	Kalyani	Kalyani Stadium	20,000

Broadcast of I-League 2:

The matches of I-League 2 is been broadcasting in the SSEN app.

I-League 3:

                      The I-League 3, inaugurated in 2023, serves as the fourth tier in India’s football league system, providing a structured pathway for clubs aiming to ascend to higher divisions.

🏟️ History of I-League 3

Established by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 2023, I-League 3 was designed to bridge the gap between state leagues and the national tiers. The inaugural 2023–24 season featured 25 teams, primarily nominated by their respective state football associations based on performances in state leagues. Sporting Goa clinched the first title, with Dempo finishing as runners-up.

⚽ 2024–25 Season Overview

• Duration: September 3 – October 6, 2024
• Champion: Diamond Harbour FC (defeated Chanmari FC 1–0 in the final)
• Promoted to I-League 2 (2024–25): Diamond Harbour FC, Chanmari FC, SAT FC, KLASA FC
• Promoted to I-League 2 (2025–26): KAMS FC, MYJ-GMSC
• Matches Played: 71
• Total Goals: 228
• Top Scorer: Himanshu Patil (7 goals)
• Biggest Wins: KLASA 8–0 Bhuna; Bhuna 0–8 KAMS
• Highest Attendance: 11,160 (Jaipur Elite vs. Karbi Anglong, September 7)
• Average Attendance: 725  

The league structure involved 25 teams divided into five groups of five, each playing in centralized venues: Naihati, Old Goa, Aizawl, Diphu, and Srinagar. The top two teams from each group advanced to the playoffs, held in Naihati and Kalyani. 

🏆 Participating Clubs in 2024–25

The 2024–25 season featured a diverse mix of clubs from across India:

• Kerala United FC – Malappuram, Kerala
• KLASA FC – Bishnupur, Manipur
• Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC – Diphu, Assam
• Garhwal Heroes FC – New Delhi
• Charutar Vidya Mandal FC – Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat
• Sesa FA – Sanquelim, Goa
• Bhuna FC – Bhuna, Haryana
• Diamond Harbour FC – Diamond Harbour, West Bengal
• HAL SC – Bengaluru, Karnataka
• SAT FC – Tirur, Kerala
• Lakecity FC – Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
• Chanmari FC – Aizawl, Mizoram
• Sports Odisha – Bhubaneswar, Odisha
• Dalbir FA – Patiala, Punjab
• Jaipur Elite FC – Jaipur, Rajasthan
• Ghaziabad City FC – Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
• MYJ-GMSC – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• RKM FA – Narainpur, Chhattisgarh
• Maharashtra Oranje FC – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Kenkre FC – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Abbas Union FC – Hyderabad, Telangana
• Downtown Heroes FC – Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
• Coramandal FC – Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
• Corbett FC – Rudrapur, Uttarakhand
• Southern Sporting Union – Imphal, Manipur  

📺 Broadcasting and Coverage

Matches were streamed on platforms like SportsCast India, SportsKPI, SportVot, and the AIFF’s official YouTube channel, enhancing accessibility for fans nationwide.