Template:Infobox football league
The I-League 3 is an Indian men's professional football league. It forms the fourth tier of the Indian football league system, below the Indian Football League 2 and above the State leagues.[1][2][3][4]
History
National Football League NFL3
The National Football League Third Division (NFL 3rd Division) was the men's third-tier of the Indian football league system from 2006 to 2007. Founded by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 2006, the NFL was the first third division football league in India to be organized on a national scale. The league was played from 25 November up to 18 December 2006 as a promotional tournament for Indian National Football League Second Division. Five teams were promoted to the second division.[5][6]. AIFF folded the league in 2007 after the first edition.
I-League 3
For the first time, the AIFF introduced qualifiers for the I-League 2 in the 2022–23 season.[7] On 13 June 2023, the AIFF league committee announced introducing a new league below the I-League 2, where champions of State leagues and nominated clubs will play. State FAs have to nominate a team before July 31.[8] The AIFF wants to create a competitive pyramid with a concrete progression pathway, aimed to allow even the smallest of clubs to get promoted to the higher divisions.
All-time clubs
| Currently in I-League 3 | |
| Currently in Indian Super League, Indian Football League or Indian Football League 2 | |
| Currently in State leagues | |
| Defunct clubs |
Relegated to I-League 3
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Kenkre, Maharashtra Oranje |
| 2024–25 | TRAU, KLASA |
Clubs promoted from I-League 3
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Sporting Goa, Dempo, Sporting Bengaluru |
| 2024–25 | Diamond Harbour, Chanmari, SAT, KLASA |
| 2025–26 | Karbi Anglong Morning Star, MYJ–GMSC |
Results
- Source:[9]
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | No. of clubs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Sporting Goa | Dempo | 25 |
| 2024–25 | Diamond Harbour | Chanmari | 25 |
| 2025–26 | 20 |
Media coverage
| Period | TV telecast | Online streaming |
|---|---|---|
| 2023–present | YouTube[10] |
See also
- Football in India
- History of Indian football
- List of football clubs in India
- NFL Second Division
- NFL Third Division
- Santosh Trophy
Notes
References
- ↑ Five teams submit bids for direct Hero I-League entry. www.the-aiff.com. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ↑ Record five bids for I-League; no ISL reserves in 2nd and 3rd divisions. Hindustan Times(2023-06-13). Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ↑ https://indiasportshub.com/i-league-2-3-merger-for-2025-26-a-necessary-reset-for-indian-footballs-fragile-middle-tier/
- ↑ https://indianfootballleague.in/i-league-2-2025-26-to-begin-on-march-27/
- ↑ National Football League Third Division. indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network.
- ↑ NFL Third Division 2006–07. RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ↑ I-League: AIFF League Committee inflict 3-TIER BIDDING structure for DIRECT entry into I-League 2023-24- Check Out, Chatterjee, Triyasha. Inside Sport India(2023-05-01). Retrieved 2023-12-31.
- ↑ AIFF League committee announce I-League direct entry bidders and revamped league structure for IWL. Khel Now. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ↑ I-League 3 2023 — Final Standings (Play-off's). the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ↑ Where and How to watch 2023-24 I-League 3 Final Round?. khelnow.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
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