The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Thursday said the sport's continental body — Asian Football Confederation (AFC) — has accorded recognition to the truncated 2025-26 ISL, with winners of the league and the Super Cup getting indirect slots to the Asian Champions League 2 through zonal qualifiers.

Due to a delayed start to the season, the clubs will not be able to play the mandatory 24 matches in the season — including the top division league and domestic cup — to be eligible to feature in the AFC Champions League 2.

Most clubs are expected to play a total of 16 matches during the season, including a minimum of three games in the Super Cup and 13 in ISL.

Two indirect slots mean the league and Super Cup champions will have to play the ACL 2 Qualifiers.

Till last season, the ISL Shield winners had a direct slot to the confederation's tier-2 tournament.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who have been handed a one-season ban by the AFC, remaining effective upto the 2027-28 season, will be ineligible if they win the league.

"The AIFF had sent regular updates to Fifa and the AFC explaining why there was a delay in the start of the season. We are thankful to the AFC for accepting our request to give our clubs a chance to represent India in Asia in 2026-27," AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said.

"With the exception of any additional slot(s) allocated to a Member Association in accordance with Articles 3.4 and 3.5, Member Associations that fail to fulfil the Member Association Eligibility Criteria shall, subject to Article 4.4, be eligible to be allocated only indirect slots for the relevant AFC Club Competition," the AFC wrote in a letter to the AIFF on Thursday.