Dempo SC remain the most successful club in Indian Football League history with three titles, while Diamond Harbour FC are the reigning champions after winning the rebranded IFL’s first season in 2025-26. The competition, known as the I-League from 2007 to 2025, has crowned thirteen different clubs across nineteen seasons.
This article lists every champion and runner-up since the inaugural 2007-08 season, the clubs with the most titles, and how the competition has evolved through different eras.
Complete Indian Football League Winners List
The table below lists every champion and runner-up from the 2007-08 inaugural season through the 2025-26 rebranded IFL season, along with a short note on what made each title notable.
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Diamond Harbour FC | Shillong Lajong FC | First IFL title after rebranding |
| 2024-25 | Inter Kashi FC | Churchill Brothers FC Goa | Title awarded by CAS on appeal |
| 2023-24 | Mohammedan SC | Sreenidi Deccan FC | Maiden league title |
| 2022-23 | RoundGlass Punjab FC | Sreenidi Deccan FC | Promotion season |
| 2021-22 | Gokulam Kerala FC | Mohammedan SC | Back-to-back champions |
| 2020-21 | Gokulam Kerala FC | Churchill Brothers | First title |
| 2019-20 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal | Season shortened |
| 2018-19 | Chennai City FC | East Bengal | Historic maiden title |
| 2017-18 | Minerva Punjab FC | NEROCA FC | Maiden title |
| 2016-17 | Aizawl FC | Mohun Bagan | Fairytale championship |
| 2015-16 | Bengaluru FC | Mohun Bagan | Second title |
| 2014-15 | Mohun Bagan | Bengaluru FC | Return to the top |
| 2013-14 | Bengaluru FC | East Bengal | Won in debut season |
| 2012-13 | Churchill Brothers | Pune FC | Second title |
| 2011-12 | Dempo SC | East Bengal | Third league title |
| 2010-11 | Salgaocar FC | East Bengal | League champions |
| 2009-10 | Dempo SC | Churchill Brothers | Second title |
| 2008-09 | Churchill Brothers | Mohun Bagan | Maiden title |
| 2007-08 | Dempo SC | Churchill Brothers | Inaugural champions |
The 2024-25 champion was decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after an eligibility dispute pushed Inter Kashi below Churchill Brothers on the initial table, before the ruling restored their title.
Most Successful Clubs in Indian Football League History
A handful of clubs have dominated separate stretches of the competition. The table below ranks every club with more than one title, plus the eight clubs that have each won it once.
| Club | Titles | Championship Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Dempo SC | 3 | 2007-08, 2009-10, 2011-12 |
| Churchill Brothers | 2 | 2008-09, 2012-13 |
| Bengaluru FC | 2 | 2013-14, 2015-16 |
| Mohun Bagan | 2 | 2014-15, 2019-20 |
| Gokulam Kerala FC | 2 | 2020-21, 2021-22 |
| Others (1 title each) | 1 | Salgaocar FC, Aizawl FC, Minerva Punjab FC, Chennai City FC, RoundGlass Punjab FC, Mohammedan SC, Inter Kashi FC, Diamond Harbour FC |
Dempo SC’s three titles all came inside the league’s first five seasons, while Gokulam Kerala FC remain the only club to have defended the crown.
Championship Eras in Indian Football League History
The Goan Dominance (2007-2013)
Dempo SC, Churchill Brothers and Salgaocar FC won five of the first six titles between them, with Goan clubs setting the early benchmark for the league.
Rise of New Champions (2013-2023)
Bengaluru FC, Aizawl FC, Chennai City FC and Gokulam Kerala FC each broke new ground in this stretch, with Gokulam Kerala becoming the first club to defend the title. RoundGlass Punjab FC capped the period by winning the last I-League season before the rebrand era began.
The Modern IFL Era (2023-Present)
Mohammedan SC won their first title in 2023-24, and Inter Kashi FC followed with their maiden crown in 2024-25 after a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling. Diamond Harbour FC then became the first champion of the rebranded Indian Football League in 2025-26.
Indian Football League Championship Records
Beyond the season by season list, a few records stand out across the competition’s nineteen-year history.
| Record | Club / Achievement |
|---|---|
| Most League Titles | Dempo SC (3) |
| First Champions | Dempo SC |
| Latest Champions | Diamond Harbour FC |
| First Champion of Rebranded IFL | Diamond Harbour FC |
| First Back-to-Back Champions | Gokulam Kerala FC |
Latest Indian Football League Champions
Diamond Harbour FC won their first Indian Football League title in the 2025-26 season, becoming the inaugural champions under the league’s new name.
They finished ahead of Shillong Lajong FC, who took the runner-up spot. The win capped a rapid rise for the Kolkata based club, who had earned promotion to the top flight only a season earlier.
Diamond Harbour FC’s title also means the AIFF has now crowned three different first-time champions in as many seasons, following Mohammedan SC in 2023-24 and Inter Kashi FC in 2024-25.
FAQs
Diamond Harbour FC won the 2025-26 title, the first season under the Indian Football League name.
Dempo SC have won the most titles with three championships, in 2007-08, 2009-10 and 2011-12.
Dempo SC won the inaugural 2007-08 season when the competition was still known as the I-League.
The AIFF approved the rebrand to the Indian Football League in February 2026, and the new name applied from the 2025-26 season onward.
Dempo SC, Churchill Brothers, Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan and Gokulam Kerala FC have all won the title more than once.
Gokulam Kerala FC are the only club to win back-to-back titles, lifting the trophy in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Shillong Lajong FC finished as runners-up to Diamond Harbour FC in the 2025-26 season.
Thirteen different clubs have been crowned champions across nineteen seasons since 2007-08.
Diamond Harbour FC became the first champion under the Indian Football League name in the 2025-26 season.
Official results and season archives are published on indianfootballleague.in and the-aiff.com.