ISL 2025-26: Kerala Blasters clears uncertainty, confirms home match in Kochi vs Mumbai City FC

There was a lot of drama on the eve of Kerala Blasters’ first home match. But it ultimately emerged that the Indian Super League (ISL) match against Mumbai City will go ahead as scheduled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday.

There was no clarity till late evening as the stadium’s owner, Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), did not allow the Blasters’ press conference inside the stadium – it had to be held online – and subsequently the club’s officials were asked to leave. And it all had to do with money.

The GCDA, which had earlier agreed to buy the stadium for Rs. to be made available to Blasters. 2 lakh per match, demanded more than double that amount. There was also the matter of the money the franchise had to put up.

According to sources, after hours of discussions involving the GCDA and management, it was decided that Sunday’s match could go ahead. However, there is no certainty yet about the other matches that Blasters has scheduled in Kochi.

Blasters had even considered the Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode as the venue for this season to reduce operational costs. Given the uncertainties surrounding the ISL, Blasters management had said that there was a dip in revenue from sponsorship revenue, and it could not afford the rental (Rs. 8.4 lakh per match) it had paid to the GCDA.

But after the club announced its intention to shift its base to Kozhikode, the GCDA, which had also received a request from the All India Football Federation, offered to reduce the rent. And there was a last minute change in the ISL matches; the matches originally allotted to Kozhikode were now shifted to Kochi.

And then all the drama happened. Not unusual for Indian football of course.

Published on February 21, 2026