Sports
MG becomes ISL title sponsor as 2026-27 season returns to full format
League returns to title sponsorship after three seasons as MG ISL kicks off on October 10
MUMBAI: Indian football is getting a fresh kick-off, and this time the league has a new name on the shirt. The Indian Super League (ISL) has announced JSW MG Motor India as the title sponsor for the 2026-27 season, bringing a title sponsor back to the country’s premier football league after three seasons.
The competition will be known as the MG Indian Super League for the upcoming season, which begins on 10 October. The partnership arrives as the ISL moves into what it describes as a new club-led commercial era, with greater emphasis on accessibility, fan engagement and building a sustainable football ecosystem.
The return of a title sponsor gives the league a renewed commercial identity ahead of the new campaign. It also puts MG at the centre of the ISL’s national football platform as clubs prepare to return to a full home-and-away format across the country.
Karan Yadav, CEO, Indian Super League, said the return of a title sponsor after three seasons marks an important milestone for the league. He also pointed to the transition towards a club-led model, with the ISL aiming to build a commercially sustainable competition while strengthening its connection with fans.
For JSW MG Motor India, the partnership extends an existing association with football and sport in India and internationally. Vinay Raina, chief commercial officer, JSW MG Motor India, said the company sees sport as a way of bringing people together and engaging younger audiences, with football forming an important part of its sporting associations.
MG’s football portfolio includes its association with Liverpool FC as the club’s Official Global Car Partner. The company also has a multi-year partnership with Arsenal, through which it has created fan experiences and engaged with India’s growing football community.
The company’s India initiatives have also extended to the grassroots. MG has supported the Patan Girls, a football team from Gujarat, through infrastructure and community-development support, bringing its football association closer to the development of young talent.
Its sporting partnerships are not restricted to football. MG has also backed women in sport through associations with golfer Tvesa Malik, Paralympic medallist Bhavina Patel and Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awardee Deepa Malik.
The ISL partnership therefore brings together MG’s wider sporting strategy and a league entering a different commercial phase. With the title sponsorship in place, the brand will have a national platform around which to build fan-facing experiences during the 2026-27 campaign.
On the sporting side, the new season will return to a full home-and-away format. That means clubs will compete across venues around the country, bringing back a broader travelling and home-match component as the league begins its latest chapter.
The opening day is scheduled for 10 October, with Bengaluru FC hosting Sporting Club Delhi at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. On the same day, FC Goa will face Chennaiyin FC at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa.
The timing gives the MG Indian Super League a new commercial identity from the very first whistle of the season. For the ISL, the return of title sponsorship after three seasons comes alongside the shift to a full home-and-away competition and a club-led commercial structure.
For MG, meanwhile, the partnership puts its football ambitions on a considerably larger domestic stage. As the league prepares to kick off on 10 October, the next season will be as much about building fan connections around the game as it is about what happens on the pitch.
