Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta. Photo: Indonoob, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Indonesian football can look confusing from the outside. The top division has changed its name three times since 2008, the league is run by a company rather than the football association, and clubs from Sumatra to Kalimantan criss-cross a country of thousands of islands every week. This guide explains how it all fits together for the 2026-27 season.
Who runs the game: PSSI and I-League
The governing body is PSSI (Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Indonesia, the Football Association of Indonesia), founded in 1930. It joined FIFA in 1952 and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1954, and it is responsible for the national teams and the overall league system.
Day-to-day running of the professional leagues is handled by I-League, a company created by PSSI. It was known as PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) from 2017 until it took the I-League name in 2025. I-League operates the Super League and Liga Nusantara, and in 2026 it set up a subsidiary, PT Liga Utama Indonesia, to run the second-tier Championship. Its website, ileague.id, is the official home of fixtures, results and the table.
The BRI Super League at a glance
The top flight is officially the BRI Super League, named after its sponsor, Bank Rakyat Indonesia. The basics are familiar to anyone who follows European football:
- 18 clubs, playing each other home and away (a double round robin) for 34 matches each.
- Three points for a win, one for a draw.
- The season runs from September to May. The 2026-27 campaign kicked off on 4 September 2026 and finishes in May 2027.
- Teams level on points are separated by head-to-head record first, then goal difference, then goals scored. This matters: Persib won the 2025-26 title on head-to-head after finishing level on points with Borneo FC Samarinda.
- VAR was used fully for the first time in the 2024-25 season.
Persib Bandung are the reigning champions, having won three titles in a row (2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26). You can explore all 18 clubs in the 2026-27 Super League on our club pages.
Promotion and relegation
The bottom three Super League clubs are relegated (degradasi) to the Championship. Three clubs come up in return (promosi): the second tier is split into two regional groups, the two group winners go up automatically, and the two runners-up meet in a one-off promotion play-off.
At the end of 2025-26, PSBS Biak, Semen Padang and Persis Solo went down. Garudayaksa FC and PSS Sleman won promotion as Championship finalists, and Isenmulang Kalteng FC took the last place by beating Persipura Jayapura 1-0 in the play-off.
The pyramid below the top flight
- Championship (second tier, professional): known as Liga 2 until 2025 and sponsored by Pegadaian. In 2025-26 it had 20 clubs in two groups of ten.
- Liga Nusantara (third tier, semi-professional): played on a national basis in regional groups since 2024-25, and operated by I-League.
- Liga 4 (fourth tier, amateur): run by PSSI's provincial associations, with the best clubs from each province going through to a national phase.
Foreign players
Indonesian clubs rely heavily on imported talent. For 2026-27 each club may register up to 11 foreign players, name nine in a matchday squad and have seven on the pitch at the same time.
Asian competition
Indonesia's clubs currently compete in the AFC's second- and third-tier club tournaments rather than the AFC Champions League Elite. In 2026-27 Persib, as champions, represent the country in the AFC Champions League Two (entering through its play-off round) and the ASEAN Club Championship, while Borneo FC Samarinda play in the AFC Challenge League. From 2027-28 Indonesia gains a second Champions League Two place: the champions should go straight in and the runners-up into the play-off.
The cups
- Piala Presiden (President's Cup): a pre-season tournament first held in 2015, when Indonesia was suspended by FIFA and needed a stand-in competition. Arema FC have won it more than anyone. The 2026 edition went to Persebaya Surabaya, who beat Persib on penalties in the final. PSSI has said that from 2027 the tournament will mainly feature invited national teams playing Indonesia.
- I-League Cup: a brand-new league cup for Super League and Championship clubs, launched in 2026-27, with group games in November and December 2026 and knockout rounds in early 2027.
- Piala Indonesia: the traditional knockout cup open to clubs from every tier. It has been held only intermittently and has not been played since 2018-19, when PSM Makassar won it.
Three names in under two decades
Before 2008 the top level was the Liga Indonesia Premier Division, which mixed group stages with knockout rounds. The modern, fully professional league began in 2008 as the Indonesia Super League (ISL). It was rebranded Liga 1 in 2017 (with the second and third tiers becoming Liga 2 and Liga 3) and became the Super League again in 2025, when Liga 2 was renamed the Championship. Only four clubs have played in every top-flight season since 2008: Arema, Madura United, Persib and Persija. For the full story, read our history of Indonesian football.
Rules worth knowing in 2026-27
- No more moving house: clubs can no longer relocate once they hold an I-League licence. Breaking the rule costs two points. Two clubs moved before the 2026-27 season began: Malut United became Java United FC in Semarang, and Adhyaksa FC became Isenmulang Kalteng in Palangka Raya.
- Away fans are back, with conditions: visiting supporters were barred after the 2022 Kanjuruhan disaster. I-League lifted the ban for 2026-27, but each match is assessed individually and the highest-risk fixtures can still go ahead without away fans. Our guides to supporter culture and the great rivalries explain why.
Following the season
Fixtures can move at short notice, so check ileague.id or the clubs' official channels before you plan a trip. Then see our matchday guide for tickets and stadium tips, our guide to watching on TV and streaming, and our Indonesian football glossary so you can follow the commentary.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_League_(Indonesia)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026%E2%80%9327_Super_League_(Indonesia)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Championship_(Indonesia)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liga_Nusantara
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_football_league_system
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-League_(Indonesia)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_Association_of_Indonesia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piala_Presiden_(Indonesia)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piala_Indonesia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-League_Cup
- https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5722668/9-fakta-menarik-super-league-2026-2027-ada-aturan-baru/
- https://www.gebrak.id/?p=51472
- https://www.jawapos.com/sepak-bola-indonesia/2605250189/kabar-baik-indonesia-dapat-jatah-2-klub-di-afc-champions-league-two-musim-20272028
- https://www.bola.com/indonesia/read/7893940/ileague-pastikan-kuota-pemain-asing-di-super-league-musim-depan-tetap-11-pemain-9-di-dsp-7-di-lapangan
- https://ileague.id/
Updated weekly through the 2026-27 season. Spotted something out of date? Use the Submit an Update button at the top of the page.