New Delhi, Nov. 4 -- The Indian Football League's (IFL) decision to restrict clubs to three foreign players in their starting XI this season is aimed at creating more opportunities for Indian footballers while improving the quality of overseas recruits, league CEO Nildeep Mondal said, underlining the competition's focus on domestic player development as it enters a new phase.

The 2026-27 season, which began on October 30, is the first under the revised foreign-player regulation, with clubs permitted to field a maximum of three foreign players at any given time. Mondal said the change had been under consideration for some time and was intended to address the growing presence of overseas players in key positions.

"First and foremost, the ...