AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: The ASMITA Football League 2025-26 marked another milestone in grassroots women’s football with the successful completion of the City League phase across the country. The competition will now move into the Zonal and National stages, with 20 state associations participating in four zones.

The City Leagues were conducted in the under-13 girls' category in a 9v9 format, with 49 leagues organised across India by 25 state associations. Each league featured eight teams, resulting in a total of 392 teams taking part nationwide.

The City League phase was held in a knockout format, with seven matches per league, accounting for 343 games overall. The competitions witnessed participation from over 6,500 players, providing young footballers a chance to showcase their talent.

With the City League phase concluded, the ASMITA Football League 2025-26 will now proceed to the Zonal League stage, featuring 20 State Associations.

The Zonal Leagues will be conducted across four zones (North, South, East, and West) with five teams in each zone, and matches to be played in a single round-robin format.

The West Zone, with Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and hosts Gujarat, will be played from January 28 to February 2 in Bhavnagar. The East Zone, consisting of Tripura, Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim and hosts Nagaland, will take place from February 5 to 10 in Chümoukedima. Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and hosts Punjab will compete in the North Zone that will be held from January 25 to 30 in Mahilpur. Bengaluru will host the South Zone from January 26 to 31, with Andaman & Nicobar, Kerala, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh and hosts Karnataka participating.

At the end of the zonal stage, the champions and runners-up from each zone will qualify for the eight-team National Round to determine the ultimate winners of the ASMITA Football League 2025-26.