East Bengal, Mohun Bagan headline four-way ISL title battle on dramatic final day
The 2025-26 Indian Super League season has somehow descended into the kind of final-day chaos that Indian football rarely experiences. The four clubs still enter Thursday night on May 21 with a genuine bid to lift the league title, with each goal in Kolkata and Delhi potentially reshaping the standings.
East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant are currently on 23 points after 12 matches but East Bengal have a crucial lead with a higher goal difference of +18 compared to Bagan’s +13. They are closely followed by Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC with 22 points each, setting up a dramatic final night where one result could turn the tables.
And the best part? Each match on the final day will start simultaneously at 19:30 IST on May 21, meaning the order can change almost every few minutes throughout the night.
The last day’s programs are:
- East Bengal vs Inter Kashi
- Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Sporting Club Delhi
- Punjab FC vs Mumbai City FC
- Jamshedpur FC vs Odisha FC
The final day of the 2025-2026 ISL season has now entered what looks to be the perfect end to one of the strangest seasons of Indian football in recent memory. ISL 2026 Points Table (Screengrab from ISL website)
A league that looked precarious just months ago due to scheduling delays, administrative problems and a truncated format has somehow produced a final matchday where half of the top half of the table remain alive in the title race.
The abbreviated format played a huge role in this chaos.
With clubs only playing 13 games instead of the usual 24-game schedule, there was never enough time for one side to really pull away from the pack.
And now everything is pointing towards Calcutta and New Delhi.
At the Salt Lake Stadium, Mohun Bagan host Sporting Club Delhi knowing that a win may still not be enough if East Bengal fail to go down. Just a few kilometers away, East Bengal take on Inter Kashi, knowing that victory would almost certainly give them their first domestic league title in 22 years.
Meanwhile, Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC meet in New Delhi in what essentially feels like a knockout game disguised as a league game.
Both clubs have 22 points and clearly understand the equation: only a win keeps the title dream alive.
Even Jamshedpur FC remain mathematically alive on 21 points heading into their clash with Odisha FC, although their path to the trophy now hinges on near-perfect chaos unfolding elsewhere.
The final day’s drama also arrived less than 24 hours later AIFF license shockerwhere Mohun Bagan were among the seven clubs denied a Premier 1 license for the 2026–27 season.
So while the ISL title race reaches a boiling point on the field, Ithe uncertainty of Indian football off the field continues to remain in the background.
WHO CAN WIN ISL 2025-2026?
EAST BENGAL
Can East Bengal make history today? (PTI photo)
East Bengal holds the strongest position heading into the final day.
The Red and Gold Brigade sit at the top of the table with 23 points with a league best goal difference of +18. This differential advantage could be decisive.
Here is the East Bengal equation:
They defeated Inter Kashi and almost certainly won the ISL title
If they draw, they can still become champions if Mohun Bagan don’t win
If East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are level on points, East Bengal’s higher goal difference currently gives them the edge.
For Mohun Bagan to close that gap, they would probably need a win by a huge margin combined with dropping points in East Bengal.
MOHUN BAGAN SUPER FIG
Mohun Bagan will take on Sporting Club Delhi on the final match day (PTI Photo)
Mohun Bagan remain fully alive but their situation is a bit more complicated due to goal difference.
Bagan has 23 points with +13 goal difference, five behind East Bengal.
Their equation:
Beat Sporting Club Delhi
Hope East Bengal either draw or lose against Inter Kashi
If both the Kolkata clubs win, Mohun Bagan would probably need an enormous win to clinch the goal difference battle
Given the current standings, Bagan realistically needs East Bengal to drop points rather than just relying on the maths of goal difference.
PUNJAB F.C
Punjab FC enter the final day on 22 points with a healthy +8 goal difference.
But their challenge is straightforward and brutal at the same time.
Punjab must:
Defeat Mumbai City FC
I hope East Bengal and Mohun Bagan don’t win
If Punjab reach 25 points to win, while both Kolkata clubs drop points, they would complete one of the most dramatic ISL title steals ever seen.
However, a draw against Mumbai effectively ends their title hopes.
MUMBAI CITY FC
Mumbai city’s equation is almost identical to Punjab’s as both teams enter the night level with 22 points.
Mumbai currently have a goal difference of +6 and are slightly behind Punjab in this department as well.
Their journey:
Beat Punjab FC in New Delhi
Hope East Bengal and Mohun Bagan both fail to win
Any dropped points against Punjab will almost certainly end Mumbai’s title race immediately.
JAMSHEDPUR FC
Jamshedpur are technically still alive on 21 points but need football chaos of the highest order.
Their equation:
Beat Odisha FC to move to 24 points
East Bengal must lose
Mohun Bagan must lose
Punjab FC vs Mumbai City FC must end in a draw
Even so, goal difference remains the main obstacle.
Jamshedpur are currently at +5, well behind East Bengal (+18) and Mohun Bagan (+13). This means that if the Kolkata clubs were to draw instead of lose, Jamshedpur would need a massive goal swing to somehow leapfrog them.
Which is why it realistically looks like a four-way title race, even though Jamshedpur still remain mathematically alive.
Still, with simultaneous kick-offs at 7.30pm and pressure everywhere, nothing can be completely ruled out until the final whistles finally blow.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
21 May 2026 11:32 IST