AIFF approves ‘Goodwill Deal’, Nagaland United SC set to enter national football league

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has approved the much-discussed “Goodwill Deal” between Aizawl FC and Nagaland United Sports Club, paving the way for Nagaland to enter the national-level Indian Football League (IFL) from the 2026-27 season.

Under the arrangement, Nagaland United SC will take over Aizawl FC’s IFL sporting rights and is expected to play its home matches in Dimapur. Aizawl FC, meanwhile, will continue its footballing activities in Mizoram, including participation in the Mizoram Premier League as well as its academy and grassroots programmes.

The development comes after Aizawl FC undertook a football-for-peace and development tour of Nagaland in June. During the tour, the Mizoram club played exhibition matches in Mon and Chümoukedima, including a June 6 match against Nagaland United SC at Chümoukedima Football Stadium.

The match was attended by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and was organised around the theme of peace, unity and regional solidarity through football.

Aizawl FC owner and MLA Robert Romawia Royte had during the visit said Nagaland deserved a club competing at the national level. The subsequent agreement between the two clubs has been described as a “Goodwill Deal”, focusing on cooperation between Mizoram and Nagaland through the exchange of technical expertise, human resources and football-development experience at both academy and professional levels.

For Nagaland, the AIFF approval marks a major milestone in the state’s footballing journey. The entry of a Nagaland-based club into the national league structure will expand the geographical footprint of the IFL and provide local players with a new pathway towards professional football.

For Aizawl FC, the agreement marks a new phase in its long association with national-level football. The former I-League champions have represented Mizoram on the national stage for years and remain one of the Northeast’s most established professional clubs.

In 2017, Aizawl FC became the first club from the Northeast to win the I-League and subsequently represented India in Asian club competition.

The agreement also comes amid discussions over government support for professional football clubs in Mizoram. Aizawl FC has noted that the Mizoram government’s recently announced financial assistance for Chanmari FC did not include the club. However, Aizawl FC has so far refrained from publicly commenting on what it has described as the government’s “Only Chanmari FC” policy.

With AIFF approval now secured, the arrangement is set to open a new chapter for football in both Mizoram and Nagaland, linking Aizawl FC’s experience in national and international football with Nagaland’s growing ambition to establish itself on India’s professional football map.