Calcutta Football League

Calcutta Football League
Organising body	Indian Football Association (West Bengal)
Founded	1898
Country	India
Divisions	7
Number of teams	26 (Premier Division) ; 160+ (overall)
Level on pyramid	5–10
Promotion to	I-League 3 (from CFL Premier Division)
Relegation to	Various
Domestic cup(s)	IFA Shield
League cup(s)	Trades Cup
Current champions	Mohammedan (14th title) ; (2023)
Most championships	East Bengal (39 titles)
TV partners	Zee 24 Ghanta ; Zee5 (OTT platform) ; IFA TV (YouTube)
	Current: 2024 CFL Premier Division

The Calcutta Football League (CFL) is a ladder-based football competition in the Indian state of West Bengal, organised by Indian Football Association (WB) as part of the state leagues. It is the oldest football league in Asia.^[2]^[3]

Indian Football Association (IFA) conducts the CFL with more than 160 mostly Kolkata-based clubs and units. Started in 1898, this league is the oldest football league in Asia and one of the oldest football competitions in the world.^[4]^[5] CFL currently consists of a seven-tier pyramid system,^[4] with more than 8,500 directly registered players of IFA participating in CFL every year, making it one of the biggest leagues in the country.

^ Mukhopadhyay, Shoubhik (10 September 2015). "East Bengal & Calcutta Football League: A Sublime Romantic Saga - Hero I-League". i-league.org. I-League. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
^ "FOOTBALL IN BENGAL". www.ifawb.com. The Indian Football Association (West Bengal). Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
^ Nag, Utathya (19 April 2023). "Calcutta Football League: East Bengal kings of Asia's oldest league competition — full winners list". olympics.com. The Olympics Football. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Calcutta Football League". IFA. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
^ Majumdar, Rounak (22 April 2019). "The Golden Years of Indian Football". www.chaseyoursport.com. Kolkata: Chase Your Sport. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2022.

[1] Mukhopadhyay, Shoubhik (10 September 2015). "East Bengal & Calcutta Football League: A Sublime Romantic Saga - Hero I-League". i-league.org. I-League. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.

[2] "FOOTBALL IN BENGAL". www.ifawb.com. The Indian Football Association (West Bengal). Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2021.

[3] Nag, Utathya (19 April 2023). "Calcutta Football League: East Bengal kings of Asia's oldest league competition — full winners list". olympics.com. The Olympics Football. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.

[ifacfl3-4] "Calcutta Football League". IFA. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

[5] Majumdar, Rounak (22 April 2019). "The Golden Years of Indian Football". www.chaseyoursport.com. Kolkata: Chase Your Sport. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2022.

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