ISL 2024-25 Playoffs Fixtures and Format: Everything you need to know

Following a tight contention in the league stage to seal passage into the Indian Super League 2024-25 knockout phase, six teams have secured their appearance for the playoffs.

The league stage of 2024-25 ended with a dead-rubber game on Wednesday as Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad FC shared the spoils in a 1-1 stalemate.

Mumbai City FC triumphed 2-0 over Bengaluru on Tuesday in their final league stage encounter this season, becoming the sixth team to book their tickets to the playoffs.

AND THEN THERE WERE 6️⃣! ✅#TheIslanders complete the #ISLPlayoffs puzzle, securing back-to-back qualification under #PetrKratky! 💪🔥#BFCMCFC #ISL #LetsFootball #MumbaiCityFC | @JioHotstar @StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/61ZIAxs4J5

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 11, 2025

This article offers you everything you need to know about the ISL 2024-25 Playoffs Fixtures and Format.

ISL 2024-25 Playoffs: Teams qualified

Mohun Bagan Super Giant became the first team to qualify for the ISL 2024-25 playoffs after achieving a 1-0 victory against Odisha FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in Kolkata last month.

The Mariners successfully defended their ISL League Shield as well, becoming the first-ever team in ISL history to achieve this feat, having earned a record 56 points in 24 matches.

Read Also | ISL Stats: 6 records Mohun Bagan broke in ISL 2024-25 so far

FC Goa were the second team to qualify for the playoffs, securing their spot after a 2-0 win against Kerala Blasters last month. The Gaurs guaranteed the second place in the standings with 48 points in 24 games, ensuring their direct entry to the semi-finals.

Bengaluru FC were the third team to reach the playoffs, following a 1-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in February. The Blues finished the regular season in third place, having gathered 38 points in 24 matches.

Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United FC also booked their places in the playoffs. NorthEast United FC secured the fourth spot with 38 points in 24 games, whereas Jamshedpur FC finished in fifth place with the same points, but fell short in the goal difference.

The sixth and final playoff spot was clinched by Mumbai City FC, with 36 points in 24 games following a 2-0 victory against Bengaluru FC in the final match of the regular season.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩! 🎬

The #ISL 2024-25 League Stage comes to close as #Mariners takes the top spot! 🔥#LetsFootball | @JioHotstar @StarSportsIndia @eastbengal_fc @HydFCOfficial @MohammedanSC pic.twitter.com/4hFiQt7ZOS

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 12, 2025

Bengaluru FC, NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur FC all finished with 38 points after 24 games. For teams that have the same number of points, their head-to-head record is considered first. If their head-to-head results are tied at 1-1 or if they have drawn, then goal difference is taken into account. 

According to this rule, Bengaluru FC had a win and a draw against Northeast United FC, which is why they are ranked above. Jamshedpur FC also has the points as Bengaluru and NorthEast, but their head-to-head record is lower, which is why they are placed below the other two.

ISL Playoffs Format

The top six teams from the league stage qualify for the playoffs, with the top two teams ensuring a direct place in the two-legged semi-finals. 

Additionally, the team that finishes at the top of the table after the league stage wins the League Shield and secures a place in the group phase of the AFC Champions League Two. 

The four teams that finish in the third to sixth positions will compete for a spot in the semi-finals through a playoff round. Notably, the playoffs are decided in a single-legged knockout game which is played in the home ground of the team that finished higher on the leaderboard.

To award some deserving advantage to the third and fourth placed teams in the league stage, the third-placed team takes on the sixth-placed side, whereas the fourth-placed and fifth-placed team meet in the other playoff.

The winners of the play-offs will advance to the semi-finals and will compete against the first two teams for a place in the ISL 2024-25 Final.

ISL 2024-25 Playoffs Fixtures

Pending an official confirmation, ISL 2024-25 playoffs are likely to be played on March 29 and 30, whereas the semifinals are scheduled for the first week of April.

According to reports, the first legs of the semi-finals are supposed to be played on April 2 and 3; and the return legs will take place on April 6 and 7, respectively.

However, here are the confirmed match-ups in the ISL 2024-25 Playoffs.

*pending further confirmation