Shillong will stage the 2026-27 I-League 3 final round from 6 to 14 December, with six clubs competing for promotion to I-League 2. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has named SSA Stadium and the Meghalaya Football Association (MFA) Ground as the two tournament venues, while local side Nongkseh Sport Social and Cultural Club (Nongkseh SS&CC) will act as the host club.
Nongkseh will be joined in the final round by NEROCA FC, BBFS Garhwal Heroes FC, Clube de Salgaocar, Godavari FC and Kickstart FC. Together, the six qualifiers represent Meghalaya, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. They will play a single round-robin format across five matchdays, making up 15 matches in total.
Every team will face the other five once, and the top two sides in the final table will move up from Indian men’s football’s fourth tier to I-League 2 for the 2027-28 season, giving them a step toward the second tier of the national league pyramid.
The campaign started with 19 clubs split across four groups in the opening stage. Only the four group winners and the two best runners-up advanced to the final round in Shillong, a format the AIFF confirmed along with the promotion spots in its season announcement.
Nongkseh’s double task as host and contender
Playing at home gives Nongkseh the benefit of familiar conditions, though the club has much more on its plate than just winning matches. While preparing its squad for five decisive games, Nongkseh must also help run a national tournament for five visiting teams. That dual role requires close coordination between the club, local partners and football authorities to make sure every squad has proper training pitches and matchday arrangements.
On the pitch, Nongkseh earned its place in the final round by topping Group C with nine points. The defining result of that run came on 30 October at SSA Stadium, where the Shillong side came from a goal down to beat Godavari FC 3-1. V. Sunil had put Godavari ahead in the 14th minute, only for Shano Tariang to level the score four minutes later.
Second-half goals from Mebankhraw and Dawanchwa Carlos Challam then sealed first place in the group for Nongkseh, while Godavari still went through as one of the two best second-placed teams.
Those two sides will meet again on 14 December on the final scheduled matchday. Before then, Nongkseh will take on Clube de Salgaocar on 6 December, Garhwal Heroes on 8 December, Kickstart on 10 December and NEROCA on 12 December. Nongkseh’s first four fixtures are all set for 7pm kick-offs, while the AIFF has not yet confirmed the start times for the final day.
The tournament opens on 6 December with NEROCA facing Godavari at 9am and Garhwal Heroes playing Kickstart at 2pm, followed by Nongkseh against Salgaocar at 7pm, according to the fixture list in The Sports Room’s announcement.
Each of the six clubs arrives in Shillong with plenty to play for. Promotion would be a major milestone for Nongkseh and would put a club from Meghalaya into I-League 2 for the 2027-28 season. NEROCA is looking to climb back up the national league structure after a difficult recent spell, while Garhwal Heroes, Salgaocar, Godavari and Kickstart all have a shot at turning strong group-stage runs into promotion.
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Unanswered questions over the MFA Ground and tournament finances
Naming two grounds for the tournament puts the spotlight on whether Shillong’s football venues are ready for the workload. SSA Stadium is a proven option, having already staged Group C matches during the first round of this season’s I-League 3. The MFA Ground, however, comes with unresolved infrastructure questions that need clear answers before the teams kick off.
In November 2024, the Meghalaya government published a tender notice inviting bids to build a covered sitting gallery and replace the artificial turf at the MFA Ground in Polo. According to the Meghalaya Gazette notice, the project carried an estimated value of ₹10,49,67,000, or roughly ₹10.50 crore, with a 24-month completion target starting from the date of the final work order.
That notice does not show when the final work order was issued, whether construction started on time, or whether the new turf and covered gallery have actually been finished. The tournament announcement does not mention any recent venue inspection or official handover either. Before the tournament starts, authorities need to clarify the state of the playing surface, the progress on the gallery, and whether basic matchday facilities such as changing rooms, drainage, medical support, toilets and spectator entry points are ready for use.
It is also important not to confuse that stadium upgrade with the cost of running the tournament itself. The ₹10.50 crore figure covers the construction and turf tender at the MFA Ground, not the hosting budget for the I-League 3 final round. Based on the public information available so far, there is no itemised tournament budget and no confirmed state government grant specifically for the December competition. As a result, it remains unclear how the financial burden of staging the event will be split between Nongkseh, the AIFF and state authorities.
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Logistical gaps with less than a month to kick-off
Bringing six clubs and their players, staff and supporters to Shillong gives the city another chance to welcome football visitors from across India. Their stay could bring extra business to local hotels, restaurants and transport providers, though any wider financial boost will depend on crowd numbers and visitor spending, and no official economic estimate has been released.
In the meantime, organisers have plenty of practical work left to finish. While Nongkseh tries to balance its training ground preparation with its duties as host, tournament officials must ensure that both pitches, team facilities, local transport, match officials, medical cover and crowd arrangements are in place.
Reports announcing the tournament have not yet explained how the 15 matches will be divided between SSA Stadium and the MFA Ground, nor have they confirmed plans for ticketing or match broadcasts.
On the pitch, the arithmetic is simple: six teams have five games each to claim two promotion places. Running a smooth tournament off it would allow Meghalaya’s clubs and football administrators to show they can stage a national event while competing for a spot in the next tier. With kick-off less than a month away, getting clear answers on the venues and hosting plans is now just as urgent as preparing the teams.
