"Champions go on, when others stop."
The words might be from Arsenal Wenger, congratulating Arsenal on winning their first Premier League title in 22 years, but they might as well apply to the Indian Super League.
For after the most chaotic of years that saw uncertainty reign supreme, the 2025-26 season of the ISL comes down to the final day. Of the eight teams involved across four games on the 21st of May, 2026, five (yes, FIVE) can become champions. Europe's top leagues can only dream of such a scenario - where five teams have a (mostly) equal shot at becoming champions.
Every single one of these potential champions though, had every reason to stop.
As the All India Football Federation (AIFF) continues to do what it does best, even becoming champions might not guarantee survival amidst Indian football's bleak economic outlook. Putting that aside, this is guaranteed to be one of the most impactful days ever in Indian football as any of Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC, Mumbai City FC, Punjab FC and Jamshedpur FC aim to become champions.
Let's start with defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Indian football's all-conquering behemoth had their fair share of travails this season. While they remain economically sound and could thus retain their core of star foreign and Indian players, Bagan had to deal with a new coach in Sergio Lobera coming in, and the disappointment of losing out on the Super Cup.
They were unceremoniously banned from continental competitions by the Asian Football Confederation (which has resulted in India being reduced to one AFC Challenger League qualifying spot - the third tier of AFC competitions - from next season).
They've also witnessed rivals East Bengal finally come good, and after trailing to Edmund Lalrindika's goal in the 85th minute of a pulsating Kolkata derby last week, had every reason to give up.
Instead, Bagan displayed their champion DNA by scoring a 90th minute equaliser via Jason Cummings and nearly stole victory at the end as well. They now head into their final game against Sporting Club Delhi knowing that victory may not be enough (if East Bengal win, Bagan have to outperform their result by six goals).
Logic dictates that Bagan don't have much of a chance, but even logic has fallen in the face of Indian football's juggernaut. As many teams, players, and managers have found out before, you simply do not bet against Bagan.
At the other end of the Kolkata maidan, East Bengal had also assembled an expensive squad with star names ahead of the season. Given their history however, there was no reason to believe they could be champions. The perennial bridesmaids of Indian football, East Bengal had been reduced to the wedding usher. They had never finished above ninth place in the ISL table since joining the league in the 2020/21 season.
Expensively assembled squads had come and gone, as did big name managers. A trophy drought ended, but ninth place remained constant. In a truncated season with little to no margin for error, surely this wouldn't be their year. Surely, they would crumble amidst the chaos once more?
Oscar Bruzon thought differently. Unleashing the wealth of attacking talent at his disposal, East Bengal have been the most attractive side to watch, as Youssef Ezzejjari, Miguel Ferreira, PV Vishnu, Bipin Singh, Edmund and co. have run circles around opposition defences.
The equation for them is simple, beat Inter Kashi and they will in all likelihood be champions (unless Bagan pull off a 6-0 win or better). If Arsenal could end a 22-year league title drought, so can East Bengal, who last won the national domestic league back in the 2003/04 season.
Indian football's uncertainty saw the City Football Group give up the ghost, as they sold their stake in Mumbai City FC ahead of this season. Now without the unlimited riches that bankrolled their league titles in the past, many rival fans looked forward to their inevitable downfall... which never came.
Petr Kratky had assembled a decent enough team, and despite not setting the pitch alight, Mumbai just kept going on... and on. Grinding out results as Lallianzuala Chhangte channeled his inner Pippo Inzaghi / Jan Koller (how was he scoring so many headers in the box?!) Mumbai rose to the top of the table.
A couple of indifferent results late in the season meant a bit of a stumble, but Kratky's side are still in the mix. They need an almighty favour from both Delhi and Kashi in preventing the Kolkata giants from winning, and then have to beat Punjab in their own game to win the title. Stranger things have happened, and Mumbai can certainly believe.
Speaking of stranger things, perhaps no story is as unbelievable as Punjab FC's title challenge this season. Panagiotis Dilmperis showed glimpses of great football last season in guiding his club to a tenth placed finish, and even after their recruitment this season, no one truly believed that Punjab, of all teams, would muster a title challenge. Yet, here we are.
Nsungusi Effiong had played 223 minutes of football in the 2024/25 season and managed zero goals and one yellow card in six appearances for his club. But the Punjab's striker has made 9 goal contributions in 12 appearances this season (7G, 2A) and he could very well guide his team to the title.
Their equation is the same as Mumbai's, but for a team boasting of unfancied foreign and Indian names, that Punjab are even here on the final day of the season is the stuff of dreams. Now if only their dream scenario could come true on Thursday.
On the other hand, Owen Coyle already lived a dream scenario with Jamshedpur before, taking them to the 2021-22 ISL League Shield title, and needs nothing short of a miracle to repeat that feat. Jamshedpur need the improbable scenario of both Bagan and East Bengal losing, while they defeat Odisha. Should Bagan and East Bengal draw, Jamshedpur would need to overcome a six-goal deficit to Bagan in goal difference and a 12-goal deficit to East Bengal to win the title. Perhaps this is a miracle too far.
Yet, every single one of these clubs could have simply walked away from a chaotic footballing season. To not eat the financial losses that this season of uncertainty would no doubt bring, for faint little reward. They have the chance to dream tomorrow, to earn the right to call themselves champions. Given how the 2025/26 Indian football season played out however, they already are.
Because like champions, they never stopped, when others did. Bring on the final day.