Chennaiyin FC to open ISL 2026-27 Phase 1 at Fatorda on October 10
Chennaiyin FC will begin their Indian Super League 2026-27 Phase 1 campaign away to FC Goa at the Fatorda Stadium on October 10, 2026, at 19:30 IST and will play their first three fixtures on the road before returning for a run of home matches.
After finishing 13th last season, the club extended head coach Clifford Miranda’s contract and overhauled the squad in the close season, releasing 15 first-team players — including Pritam Kotal, Ankit Mukherjee, Farukh Choudhary and Mandar Rao Dessai — and all six foreign players from last year’s roster; the club’s actions were described in the report as a statement of ambition following their narrow escape from relegation, a campaign influenced in part by Mohammedan SC’s lack of foreign players and a transfer ban.
Chennaiyin have added 17 new players to the first team, with five foreign signings among the arrivals. Domestic additions highlighted in the report include Brison Fernandes and Ayush Chhetri, while Bryce Miranda and Shubham Rawat were signed from IFL clubs. Madih Talal and Nikola Stojanovic, who represented Jamshedpur FC last season, joined the squad, Nuno Reis arrived from Mumbai City FC, and the foreign contingent is completed by Rwanda international Emmanuel Imanishimwe and Brazilian striker Ramon Tanque.
The club will appear on the ISL opening day for only the second time in league history; their previous opening-day fixture was against Atletico de Kolkata in 2015 at the Marina Arena. This season’s opener, however, is scheduled at Goa’s Fatorda Stadium on October 10 at 19:30 IST.
Following the season opener, Chennaiyin travel to Sree Kanteerava Stadium and Salt Lake to face Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan SG respectively, before returning to host Kerala Blasters in the Southern Derby. The Phase 1 sequence then includes further home fixtures against East Bengal and Punjab FC, followed by away trips to Mumbai City FC and NorthEast United FC.
After those matches the Marina Machans will return to the Marina Arena for a three-game home stretch against Churchill Brothers, Inter Kashi FC and Odisha FC, and will close out Phase 1 with a trip to the capital to play Sporting Club Delhi; the club will base its home matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai.
Chennaiyin’s next confirmed fixture is the ISL 2026-27 opener at Fatorda Stadium against FC Goa on October 10, 2026, at 19:30 IST, beginning a Phase 1 schedule that features three opening away games followed by a block of home matches.
