2025–26 Punjab FC season
| 2025–26 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | RoundGlass Sports Pvt. Ltd. | |||
| Director of Football | Nikolaos Topoliatis | |||
| Head coach | Panagiotis Dilmperis | |||
| Stadium | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi | |||
| Indian Super League | Pre-season | |||
| Durand Cup | Group stage | |||
| Super Cup | Semi-final | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: All: various | |||
| Biggest win | 3–0 Gokulam Kerala (27 October 2025, Super Cup) 3–0 Mohammedan (1 November 2025, Super Cup) | |||
| Biggest defeat | 1–3 East Bengal (4 December 2025, Super Cup) | |||
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The 2025–26 season is the sixth season in Punjab FC's existence, the club's third consecutive season in Indian football's top-flight, and fifth overall. In addition to the league, the club will also take part in the 2025 Durand Cup and the 2025–26 Super Cup.
Background
Punjab finished eighth in the 2024–25 Indian Super League. After the completion of the 2024–25 season, the club chose not to renew the contracts of any of their foreign players and opted for an overhaul in the foreign contingent. The club became active right after the end of the previous season, roping in Muhammad Uvais from Jamshedpur FC[1] and Bijoy Varghese from Inter Kashi[2] to strengthen the defence after departures of Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Melroy Assisi and the Croatian centre-back Ivan Novoselec. Punjab also renewed the contract of head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis for one more season keeping him at the club till the end of the 2026–27 season.[3] The main highlight of the window for Punjab FC was the sale of fullback Abhishek Singh Tekcham to Mohun Bagan SG in a multi-crore rupees deal.[4] Punjab bolstered their squad with the signing of 3 foreigners - Dani Ramírez, Samir Zeljković and Effiong Nsungusi. All three players have completed their medicals, penning one-year contracts after arriving on free transfers.[5]
On 31 July, Punjab FC unveiled their new club crest, a face of a lion from front with the words "Punjab FC" below it.[6] Nikhil Prabhu was appointed team captain before the start of the Durand Cup.[7]
Squad
First team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Transfers
In
| Date | Player | Position | From | Transfer Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 June 2025 | Muhammad Uvais | DF | Jamshedpur FC | Free transfer | [8] |
| 15 July 2025 | Bijoy Varghese | DF | Inter Kashi FC | Free transfer | [9] |
| 6 October 2025 | Dani Ramírez | MF | Manisa F.K. | Free transfer | |
| 6 October 2025 | Samir Zeljković | MF | FK Radnički 1923 | Free transfer | |
| 6 October 2025 | Effiong Nsungusi | FW | FC UTA Arad | Free transfer | |
| 21 October 2025 | Pablo Santos | DF | FC Noah | Free transfer | |
| 24 October 2025 | Bikash Singh Sagolsem | DF | Kerala Blasters | Free transfer | |
| 24 October 2025 | Arshdeep Singh | GK | Hyderabad | Free transfer |
Out
| Date | Player | Position | To | Transfer Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 June 2025 | Petros Giakoumakis | FW | Niki Volos F.C. | Free transfer | |
| 6 June 2025 | Filip Mrzljak | MF | FC Ufa | Free transfer | |
| 7 June 2025 | Ivan Novoselec | DF | Duhok SC | Free transfer | |
| 8 June 2025 | Denechandra Meitei | DF | Free transfer | ||
| 17 June 2025 | Asmir Suljić | MF | Szeged-Csanád GA | Free transfer | |
| 19 June 2025 | Luka Majcen | FW | Diamond Harbour FC | Free transfer | |
| 20 June 2025 | Melroy Assisi | DF | Diamond Harbour FC | ||
| 9 July 2025 | Ezequiel Pulga Vidal | FW | PSIM Yogyakarta | Free transfer | |
| 24 July 2025 | Abhishek Singh Tekcham | DF | Mohun Bagan Super Giant | [10] |
Preseason and Friendlies
Punjab played 2 friendly matches – against Namdhari and Delhi on 5 October and 19 October respectively. Punjab won both the matches comfortably by 2–1 and 4–1. Suresh Meitei and Kipgen scored for Punjab in the 2–1 victory against Namdhari. Kipgen, Ninthoi, Nikhil Prabhu and Omang scored for Punjab in the 4–1 victory against Delhi.
Matches
| 5 October 2025 Friendly | Punjab | 2–1 | Namdhari | Sri Bhaini Sahib |
| 10:00 IST |
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Stadium: Namdhari Football Ground Attendance: 0[A] |
Competitions
Overall record
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Durand Cup | 3 August 2025 | 9 August 2025 | Group stage | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 33.33 |
| Super Cup | 27 October 2025 | 4 December 2025 | Group stage | Semi-final | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 50.00 |
| Indian Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — | ||||
| Punjab State Super League[B] | 1 August 2025 | 30 October 2025 | Matchday 1 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 11 | +21 | 70.59 | |
| Total | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 41 | 16 | +25 | 62.50 | ||||
Last updated: 4 December 2025
Source: Soccerway
Durand Cup
Punjab FC started their Durand Cup campaign on 3 August against Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC in Kokrajhar, Assam with an all-domestic lineup. The match ended in a 2-1 win for Punjab, courtesy goals by Pramveer and Sanathoi.[11] Punjab then played against ITBP FT and were held to a goalless draw.[12] In the third match, Punjab faced resilient Bodoland FC and were handed a tough loss by them which brought an end to Punjab's Durand Cup campaign.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BDO | PUN | ITB | KMS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bodoland (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 9 | knockout stage | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 2 | Punjab | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0–0 | 2–1 | ||||
| 3 | ITB Police | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 4 | 2–1 | |||||
| 4 | Karbi Anglong Morning Star | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 0 |
Matches
| 3 August 2025 Group stage | Morning Star | 1–2 | Punjab FC | Kokrajhar, Bodoland, Assam |
| 16:00 IST |
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Report |
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Stadium: SAI Stadium Attendance: 3,500 Referee: Harish Kundu Man of the Match: Pramveer Singh (Punjab) |
| 6 August 2025 Group stage | ITBP FT | 0–0 | Punjab FC | Kokrajhar, Bodoland, Assam |
| 16:00 IST | Report | Stadium: SAI Stadium Attendance: 1,400 Referee: Jarvish Macwan Man of the Match: Donborlang Nongkynrih (ITBP) |
| 9 August 2025 Group stage | Punjab FC | 0–1 | Bodoland | Kokrajhar, Bodoland, Assam |
| 16:00 IST | Report |
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Stadium: SAI Stadium Attendance: 12,545 Referee: Surojit Das Man of the Match: Robinson Blandon (Bodoland) |
Super Cup
Punjab will participate in the Super Cup and was grouped into Group C alongside Bengaluru, Mohammedan and Gokulam Kerala.[13]
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PFC | BFC | GOK | MDS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjab | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 7[a] | Advance to knockout stage | 0–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 2 | Bengaluru | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 7 | 4–0 | 2–0 | ||||
| 3 | Gokulam Kerala | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 | 3–0 | |||||
| 4 | Mohammedan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | −8 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group; 7) Disciplinary points; 8) drawing of lots
Notes:
- ^ Punjab qualified after winning the penalty shoot-out.
Bracket
| Semifinals | Final | ||||||||
| A1 | East Bengal | 3 | |||||||
| C1 | Punjab | 1 | |||||||
| SF1 | East Bengal | 0 (5) | |||||||
| SF2 | Goa (p) | 0 (6) | |||||||
| B1 | Goa | 2 | |||||||
| D1 | Mumbai City | 1 | |||||||
Matches
| 27 October 2025 Group stage | Punjab | 3–0 | Gokulam Kerala | Bambolim |
| 16:30 IST | Report | Stadium: GMC Athletic Stadium Attendance: 189 Referee: K Ramdasan |
| 1 November 2025 Group stage | Mohammedan | 0–3 | Punjab | Bambolim |
| 16:30 IST | Report | Stadium: GMC Athletic Stadium Attendance: 123 Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar |
| 5 November 2025 Group stage | Bengaluru | 0–0 (4–5 p) | Punjab | Fatorda |
| 16:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Fatorda Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: Ashwin Man of the Match: Muheet Shabir (Punjab) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| 4 December 2025 Semi-final | East Bengal | 3–1 | Punjab | Fatorda |
| 16:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Fatorda Stadium Attendance: 300 Referee: Ashwin |
Punjab State Super League
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | RGP | SPS | BSF | DFC | PP | NFC | IFC | RCF | OJS | YFC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjab FC (C) | 17 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 11 | +21 | 39 | Champions | 2–3 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 2 | Sher-e-Punjab SC (Q) | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 23 | +13 | 34 | Qualification for I-League 3[a] | 0–0 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 6–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | ||
| 3 | BSF FC | 17 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 25 | 21 | +4 | 29 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | |||
| 4 | Dalbir FA | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 26 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | |||
| 5 | Punjab Police | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 26 | −7 | 23 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head goals scored; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) fair play ranking; 8) drawing of lots
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
- ^ If the top teams are already playing in national leagues, then the next highest ranked team(s) would be eligible for I-League 3.
Statistics
Squad appearances and goals
Most Goals
| Sl. No. | Player | Durand Cup | Super Cup | League | Total goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pramveer Singh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Konsam Sanathoi Singh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Muhammad Suhail F | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Nikhil Prabhu | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Princeton Rebello | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Samir Zeljković | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Ninthoinganba Meetei | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Manglenthang Kipgen | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Most Assists
| Sl. No. | Player | Durand Cup | Super Cup | League | Total assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singamayum Shami | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Muhammad Uvais | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Princeton Rebello | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Muhammad Suhail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Dani Ramírez | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Ninthoinganba Meetei | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Leon Augustine | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Cleansheets
| Sl. No. | Player | Matches played | Cleansheets kept | Cleansheet % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muheet Shabir | 3 | 3 | 100 |
| 2 | Ravi Kumar | 3 | 1 | 33.3 |
Notes
References
- ^ "ISL Transfers: Punjab FC Announces the Signing of Defender Muhammed Uvais". The Bridge. 15 June 2025.
- ^ "Punjab FC sign defender Bijoy Varghese". The Print. 15 July 2025.
- ^ "Punjab FC extends contract of head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis". Sportstar. 10 June 2025.
- ^ "ISL champions Mohun Bagan set to sign Tekcham Abhishek Singh in ₹8 Crore+ deal".
- ^ Bhattacharjee, Neeladri (6 October 2025). "Punjab FC strengthens overseas roster before Super Cup, signs Zeljkovic, Ramirez and Effiong". Sportstar.
- ^ "Fans react to Punjab FC's new logo".
- ^ "Punjab FC appoint Nikhil Prabhu as captain for Durand Cup". NewKerala.
- ^ "Muhammad Uvais joins the Shers".
- ^ "Punjab FC announces signing of defender Bijoy Varghese".
- ^ "Mohun Bagan announces signing Abhishek Tekcham from Punjab FC till 2029". 24 July 2025.
- ^ Durandfootball (3 August 2025). "Punjab FC start their Durand Cup campaign with late win over Karbi Anglong". Durand Cup.
- ^ "ITBP holds Punjab FC to goalless draw". Sportstar. 6 August 2025.
- ^ "Group stage draw for Kalinga Super Cup 2023-24 conducted". the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024.