The 2026/27 League Cup will kick off on 3 November, Erick Thohir highlights the head-to-head matchup between the Super League and Championship.

Jakarta - PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir has expressed appreciation for the planned 2026/27 League Cup, a domestic competition that will bring together clubs from both the Super League and Championship divisions.

The League Cup is scheduled to kick off on 3 November 2026, running concurrently alongside the main 2026/27 league season fixtures.

Erick stated this tournament will not simply increase match volume, but also provide Super League clubs a critical opportunity to test their squad maturity and depth against Championship sides.

"This is not just about adding more fixtures. It is also a chance to gauge how prepared and deep Super League squads are, when matched against the fighting spirit and determination of Championship teams," Erick stated in an official PSSI release on Saturday (29/8/2026).

36 clubs will enter the League Cup, split into nine groups of four teams each. This tournament bridges Indonesia's two highest professional football tiers: the top-flight Super League, and the second-division Championship.

Unlike regular league competition, the League Cup includes a special entry pathway for the two Indonesian clubs participating in Asian continental tournaments. Persib Bandung and Borneo FC will skip the entire opening group phase, joining the competition directly at the quarter-final stage.

According to the official I.League calendar, the League Cup group stage will be held across three matchdays on 3–5 November, 24–26 November, and 1–3 December 2026. All group stage matches are scheduled to take place on weekdays.

The competition will then proceed to the Round of 12 on 15–17 January 2027. The six advancing teams from this round will be joined by Persib and Borneo FC for the quarter-finals on 30–31 January 2027, forming an 8-team knockout bracket to compete for semi-final qualification.

Semi-final matches are scheduled for 21 April 2027, with the tournament final set for 19 May 2027. I.League has confirmed the final date may be adjusted, should either of Indonesia's AFC or AFF Shopee Cup representatives progress deep into their continental campaigns while also reaching the League Cup final.

According to Erick, this cross-tier format holds strategic value for national football development. Super League clubs gain opportunities to rotate and test their full squad depth, while Championship sides receive a proper benchmark to measure their ability against top division opposition.

These cross-division fixtures are also projected to deliver more unpredictable, engaging competition for spectators.

"Competitions like this must form part of our work to build a healthy football ecosystem. Clubs gain valuable match minutes, players receive more development opportunities, and fans get a wider range of fixtures. Above all else, every match must be run to full professional standards with strict sportsmanship upheld," Erick added.

The launch of the League Cup also marks a long-awaited return for domestic cross-tier cup football: the previous Indonesia Cup national tournament was last held for the 2018/19 season before being suspended indefinitely.

Calendar Designed To Prevent Fixture Clashes

I.League Chief Executive Ferry Paulus confirmed the League Cup has been structured to run in parallel with regular league fixtures. For this reason, the full 2026/27 season calendar was compiled with full consideration for both domestic and international football schedules.

"We finalised and published the updated 2026/27 calendar well in advance to give clubs full certainty for their planning. All League Cup fixtures have been aligned with both domestic and continental competition timetables, to ensure clubs competing in Asian tournaments will not face schedule conflicts," stated Ferry.

I.League first published the revised 2026/27 competition calendar on 15 July 2026. Alongside adding the League Cup, this update also brought forward the Championship season kickoff from the originally planned 18 September to 12 September 2026. The calendar was drafted through joint coordination between I.League and PSSI, aligned with FIFA, AFC and AFF official schedules, with additional accommodation for the Indonesian national team programme, the holy month of Ramadan and national public holidays.

For Erick, the League Cup ultimately serves a purpose beyond expanding the fixture list. The tournament will allow top flight clubs to maintain and test their squad depth, while giving second division clubs a public platform to prove they can compete against Indonesia's highest ranked teams.

With this cross-tier structure, the 2026/27 League Cup is expected to deliver more than just additional fixtures: it will bring together Indonesia's two professional divisions in meaningful, high-stakes competitive football.