The Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) hosted the Indian Football Awards 2026 in Kolkata on 29 August 2026, where founding president Bhaichung Bhutia presented the honours voted by professional footballers. Lallianzuala Chhangte from Mizoram was named Indian Footballer of the Year and Manisha Kalyan from Punjab won Indian Women’s Player of the Year, while East Bengal FC completed a historic double as Indian Super League (ISL) Champions and Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2025-26 champions. The ceremony celebrated standout performances across men’s and women’s football and underlined how player-voted recognition now sets the benchmark for excellence in Indian football.
What Are the Indian Football Awards 2026?
The Indian Football Awards are the annual awards presented by the Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) to honour the best performers of the Indian football season. Unlike federation awards, the FPAI awards are distinctive because they are voted on by professional footballers themselves who play across the Indian Super League (ISL), the I-League, and the Indian Women’s League (IWL). Players assess their peers on daily training, match performance, discipline and consistency through the season, which gives the awards high credibility among professionals.
The 2026 edition was held at The Galaxy, The Park Hotel in Kolkata on 29 August 2026. It brought together current players, coaches, club representatives and administrators, with former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia, former president Renedy Singh, current president Mehraj Uddin Wadoo, general secretary Arindam Bhattacharya and India star Sunil Chhetri in attendance. The evening recognised excellence not only in playing categories but also in coaching, coach education, player performance and development, and team achievements for the 2025-26 season.
What Is the Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI)?
The Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) is the representative body for professional footballers in India. It was formed on 13 August 2006 on the initiative of Bhaichung Bhutia, then captain of the Indian national team, to act as a parent body for players and to work with national and state associations for the welfare and fair treatment of footballers. The full form FPAI stands for Football Players’ Association of India, and it is often described as India’s only organised players’ association.
The association got affiliated to FIFPro, the worldwide representative organisation for professional footballers headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2007 and became a full member at the FIFPro Congress in Budapest in November 2009. Today it is one of 66 member unions associated with FIFPro globally. It collaborates closely with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in New Delhi, on matters such as legal aid, contract standardization and dispute resolution. The FPAI also played a key role in abolishing the ISL draft system in 2018, helped set up the National Dispute Resolution Chamber discussion, and runs education initiatives including coaching licences and English language courses for players.
Its current leadership includes president Mehrajuddin Wadoo, vice presidents Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan and Rahul Bheke, general secretary Arindam Bhattacharya and treasurer Deepak Kumar Mandal. The FPAI instituted its annual awards in 2009 with four categories, and added women’s categories in 2022 to reflect the growth of women’s football. For many professionals, especially those in lower leagues whose voices are rarely heard, the association functions as a collective platform for support and representation.
Indian Football Awards 2026: Full List of Winners in Kolkata
The FPAI announced winners across playing, coaching and development categories for the 2025-26 season. The honours covered both the men’s and women’s game, along with team championships in the Indian Super League and the Indian Women’s League.
| Award Category | Winner | Team or Club |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Player of the Year | Lallianzuala Chhangte | Mohun Bagan Super Giant |
| Indian Women’s Player of the Year | Manisha Kalyan | India Women’s National Team / Apollon Ladies (Cyprus) |
| Young Player of the Year | Sanan Mohammed K | Jamshedpur FC |
| Women’s Young Player of the Year | Sanfida Nongrum | Garhwal United FC |
| Foreign Player of the Year | Miguel Figueira Damasceno | East Bengal FC |
| I-League Player of the Year | Phrangki Buam | Shillong Lajong FC |
| Coach of the Year (Men’s) | Owen Coyle | Jamshedpur FC / Chennaiyin FC |
| Women’s Coach of the Year | Anthony Andrews | East Bengal FC Women |
| Coach Education Award | Savio Medeira | Former India head coach |
| Player Performance and Development Award | Rapid Sports and The Right Weigh | Organisations |
| ISL Champions 2025-26 | East Bengal FC | Club honour |
| IWL Champions 2025-26 | East Bengal FC Women | Club honour |
The list reflects a season where domestic leagues produced clear standouts, with the top Indian men’s award going to a winger who has been central to both club and country, and the women’s award going to a forward who continues to build an international profile. The inclusion of Foreign Player of the Year and I-League Player of the Year shows how the FPAI evaluates talent across the entire pyramid, from the top tier ISL to the second tier I-League.
Star Performers at the Centre Stage
Lallianzuala Chhangte Named Indian Footballer of the Year
Lallianzuala Chhangte, aged 29, from Mizoram, was named Indian Footballer of the Year 2026. He currently plays as a winger for Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the ISL and for the Indian national team. Chhangte is regarded as one of India’s most consistent attacking players in recent seasons, known for pace on the flank, direct running and goal contributions.
This is not his first national recognition. He was named AIFF Men’s Player of the Year for 2022-23 and again for 2023-24, becoming only the fifth player to win the AIFF award multiple times. In the 2022-23 ISL, he was the highest scoring Indian with 10 goals and 6 assists in 22 appearances for Mumbai City FC, and in 2023-24 he scored 11 goals and provided 7 assists across all competitions as Mumbai City FC won the ISL Cup. He became only the second player from Mizoram after Jeje Lalpekhlua (2016) to win the AIFF Player of the Year award, and his FPAI honour in 2026 marks a reclaiming of the peers’ top vote after strong performances for club and country in the 2025-26 cycle.
Manisha Kalyan Wins Indian Women’s Player of the Year
Manisha Kalyan, from Punjab, won the Indian Women’s Player of the Year award. Born on 27 November 2001 in Mughal Majra, Hoshiarpur district, she plays as a forward and is one of the most prominent faces of Indian women’s football. She first came to national attention by winning the AIFF Women’s Emerging Footballer of the Year 2020-21, then won the AIFF Women’s Player of the Year in 2022-23 for a second consecutive time, becoming only the third Indian woman after Bala Devi (three times) and Bembem Devi (twice) to win it multiple times.
Manisha became the first Indian woman to score in the UEFA Women’s Champions League while playing for Apollon Ladies FC in Cyprus, where she moved after her domestic success with Gokulam Kerala FC. She has also represented India at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, scoring a brace in a 4-0 win over Timor-Leste, and continues to be a regular for the India women’s national team, nicknamed the Blue Tigresses. Her FPAI award recognises a season where she combined overseas club experience with decisive displays for the national side.
Young Talent Recognised: Sanan Mohammed K and Sanfida Nongrum
Sanan Mohammed K, also listed as Mohammed Sanan Kundoyi, was named Young Player of the Year. Born on 5 April 2004 in Malappuram, Kerala, the 21 year old left winger plays for Jamshedpur FC in the ISL. A product of the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) academy, he joined Jamshedpur FC on 3 August 2023 and has made more than 57 league appearances with 7 goals up to April 2026. He has represented India U23 (9 caps, 1 goal) and made his senior India debut in 2025, adding 5 senior caps by June 2026. His contract with Jamshedpur FC runs until 31 May 2028.
Sanfida Nongrum, born on 25 April 2005 in Shillong, Meghalaya, was named Women’s Young Player of the Year. The 20 year old midfielder plays for Garhwal United FC in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and for the India women’s national team (7 caps, 3 goals as of June 2026). She captained Garhwal United to the IWL 2 title in 2024-25, led Laitkor to the Meghalaya Women’s Football League title in 2024, and has also represented Bangalore United, Sports Odisha and Sirvodem SC. In the 2025-26 Karnataka Women’s League she was the top scorer with 15 goals and was named Player of the Tournament. She also won the Best Midfielder award for IWL 2025-26, and scored on her India debut against Vietnam at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Australia.
East Bengal’s Historic Double: ISL and IWL Champions 2025-26
A major highlight of the evening was the double honour for East Bengal Football Club (FC), one of Kolkata’s historic clubs founded in 1920. The men’s team was honoured as ISL Champions 2025-26 and the women’s team as IWL Champions 2025-26, marking a rare season where the same club won the top men’s and women’s league titles in India.
Why the ISL Triumph Matters After 22 Years
The Indian Super League (ISL) is India’s top tier men’s professional football league. It was established in 2013 and is organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in partnership with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). Since 2022-23, the ISL has functioned as the first tier of the Indian football league system, with the I-League as the second tier. The league operates on a points table or standings system where teams earn three points for a win and one for a draw, and the team finishing top of the standings is recognised alongside the cup playoff winner.
East Bengal FC ended a 22 year wait for a national league title by winning the ISL 2025-26 crown. The decisive match was played on 21 May 2026 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, where East Bengal defeated Inter Kashi 2-1 with goals from Youssef Ezzejjari and Mohammed Rashid. Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant finished on 26 points, but East Bengal claimed the title on superior goal difference of plus 19, with Mumbai City FC a point behind in third. The club’s previous best finish in the ISL era had been ninth, which makes this jump to champions significant. For context, the ISL champions list includes ATK (2014, 2016, 2019-20), Chennaiyin FC (2015, 2017-18), Bengaluru FC (2018-19), Mumbai City FC (2020-21, 2023-24), Hyderabad FC (2021-22), ATK Mohun Bagan (2022-23), Mohun Bagan Super Giant (2024-25) and now East Bengal (2025-26).
The women’s success was equally emphatic. East Bengal FC Women retained the Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2025-26 title, the top tier of women’s club football in India first launched in 2016 and run by the AIFF. They sealed the championship on 12 May 2026 with a 2-0 victory against Nita Football Academy through a brace by Soumya Guguloth, with two matches to spare, finishing on 33 points after Matchday 12. Sethu FC (23 points) and Kickstart FC Karnataka (19 points) completed the top three. The team lifted the trophy on 18 May 2026 at the East Bengal Ground in the presence of AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and FIFA Regional Office South Asia Lead Prince Rufus. This was East Bengal Women’s second IWL title, reinforcing their rise in women’s football alongside the men’s success. Individual IWL 2025-26 honours went to Fazila Ikwaput (Best Striker, East Bengal), Nirmala Devi Phanjoubam (Best Defender, Sethu FC), Sanfida Nongrum (Best Midfielder, Garhwal United) and Panthoi Chanu Elangbam (Best Goalkeeper, East Bengal).
Coaches and Contributors Honoured
Owen Coyle and Anthony Andrews Named Coaches of the Year
Owen Coyle, born on 14 July 1966 in Glasgow, Scotland, was conferred the Men’s Coach of the Year award. A former striker who played for clubs including Bolton Wanderers and represented Republic of Ireland once at senior level, Coyle has managed clubs in England, Scotland and the United States before moving to India. In the ISL, he led Chennaiyin FC to the final in 2019-20 and later took charge of Jamshedpur FC, guiding them to the ISL League Shield in 2021-22. His experience with young attacking talent, including developing players like Sanan Mohammed K at Jamshedpur, was noted during the awards.
Anthony Andrews was named Women’s Coach of the Year for his work with East Bengal FC Women. Under his guidance, East Bengal Women won the IWL 2025-26 with a dominant campaign, retaining their title and playing an organized, pressing style that yielded the best defensive record in the league. His award reflects the growing professionalization of coaching in the women’s game, where longer league duration and improved training standards are helping clubs build sustained success.
Savio Medeira and Development Awards
Veteran coach Savio Medeira received the Coach Education Award. Medeira, a former India international from Goa who served as head coach of the Indian national team in 2011-12 and later as AIFF’s head of coach education, has been instrumental in expanding licensed coaching pathways in India. The award recognises long term contributions to education rather than a single season’s results, including mentoring new coaches and supporting the AIFF coaching curriculum.
The Player Performance and Development Award was jointly conferred upon Rapid Sports and The Right Weigh. The award highlights the ecosystem around the player, including sports science, fitness monitoring, nutrition, injury prevention and rehabilitation support. As Indian football pushes for higher intensity and longer seasons, investment in performance and development services, data analysis and athlete welfare has become central to sustaining player form and careers. The recognition of two organisations in this category underlines how multiple specialised partners now work with clubs and players across the ISL, I-League and IWL.
Other notable winners on the night included Miguel Figueira Damasceno as Foreign Player of the Year for his creative role at East Bengal FC, where he also won the ISL Golden Ball for 2025-26, and Phrangki Buam of Shillong Lajong FC as I-League Player of the Year. The I-League, founded as the National Football League in 1996 and rebranded in 2007, remains the second tier and a vital platform for emerging Indian talent.
Why the FPAI Awards Matter for Indian Football
The FPAI awards are often described by players as the most respected honours in Indian football because the voting comes from fellow professionals. Bhaichung Bhutia, who captained India from the late 1990s to 2011, scored more than 40 international goals and was the first Indian to play professional football in Europe with Bury FC in England, has said the peer voted nature makes the trophy special. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2008 and founded the FPAI precisely to give players collective voice, legal help and career guidance beyond the big stars.
Sunil Chhetri, vice president of the FPAI and India’s all time leading scorer with more than 90 international goals, told the gathering that the honours are cherished because only fellow players truly understand the daily grind, sacrifice and pressure of professional football. For context on Indian football’s broader landscape, the Indian men’s national team, nicknamed the Blue Tigers, is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA, which was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. The men’s team reached its highest FIFA ranking of 94 in 1996 and has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup five times, while the women’s team continues to build through the IWL and youth pathways. India has never qualified for the senior FIFA World Cup, with the men’s team coming closest during qualification cycles, and the awards shine a light on domestic excellence as the country works toward stronger continental and global competitiveness.
By honouring men’s and women’s players, youth prospects, foreign professionals, coaches and support organisations together, the Kolkata ceremony reflected the interconnected nature of modern football. Grassroots development, coach education, sports science and competitive opportunities for women are now seen as essential pillars for raising the overall standard, not secondary concerns. The recognition of development awards alongside traditional playing awards shows how Indian football is broadening its definition of success beyond results on the pitch.
Key Takeaways
- The Indian Football Awards 2026 were organised by the Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) in Kolkata on 29 August 2026 and presented by founding president Bhaichung Bhutia.
- Lallianzuala Chhangte (Mizoram, Mohun Bagan Super Giant) won Indian Footballer of the Year and Manisha Kalyan (Punjab) won Indian Women’s Player of the Year.
- Sanan Mohammed K (Jamshedpur FC) was named Young Player of the Year and Sanfida Nongrum (Garhwal United FC, Meghalaya) was named Women’s Young Player of the Year.
- East Bengal FC was honoured as ISL Champions 2025-26 after ending a 22 year title wait on 21 May 2026, while East Bengal FC Women won the IWL 2025-26 title with 33 points.
- Owen Coyle and Anthony Andrews won the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year awards, while Savio Medeira received the Coach Education Award.
- The FPAI, formed on 13 August 2006 by Bhaichung Bhutia and affiliated to FIFPro in 2007, presents awards voted by professional footballers across ISL, I-League and IWL.
