Indian Super League organizers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) introduced the ISL League Winners Shield during the 2019-20 season.
The ISL League Winners Shield list features four clubs – FC Goa, Mumbai City FC, Jamshedpur FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Mumbai City and Mohun Bagan have won it twice each.
The ISL ‘League Winners Shield’ was awarded to the Indian Super League club topping the league stage of Indian football’s top flight from 2019-20 to 2024-25. The prize money rose from INR 50 lakh to INR 3.5 crore from the 2021-22 season.
More pertinently, the Shield winners took India’s place in the AFC Champions League. Since the AFC revamped its club competitions in 2024, India’s league champions go into AFC Champions League Two instead.
During the ISL 2019-20 season, FC Goa became the first Indian club to qualify directly for the group stage of the AFC Champions League after the Gaurs topped the league stage with 39 points from 18 matches.
The following season, Mumbai City FC became the first club to win both the ISL League Winners Shield and the ISL title in the same edition.
After the Islanders topped the league phase with 40 points from 20 matches, they defeated ATK Mohun Bagan 2-1 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa to clinch the ISL 2020-21 title.
Mumbai City FC are the first club to win the ISL League Winners Shield twice. They achieved the feat after winning in the ISL 2022-23 season.
Jamshedpur FC have won the ISL League Winners Shield in 2021-22 season. The Red Miners lifted the Shield after finishing on the top of the ISL 2021-22 standings with 43 points from 20 games.
Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan Super Giant are the latest team to join the elite list after they pipped Mumbai City FC to win their first ISL League Winners Shield in the 2023-24 season.
With a nail-biting 2-1 win over the Islanders in the final league stage match of the season, Mohun Bagan clinched the coveted title for the first time in their rich history.
In 2024-25, Mohun Bagan Super Giant became the first club to retain the Shield, finishing top with a record 56 points, and went on to win the ISL Cup final as well.
The Shield was not awarded in 2025-26. That season was a shortened league with no playoffs, so the club finishing top, East Bengal, received the ISL trophy itself.
ISL League Winners Shield list
|
Club |
Season |
|
FC Goa |
2019-20 |
|
Mumbai City FC |
2020-21 |
|
Jamshedpur FC |
2021-22 |
|
Mumbai City FC |
2022-23 |
|
Mohun Bagan Super Giant |
2023-24 |
|
Mohun Bagan Super Giant |
2024-25 |
Featured photo: Indian Super League