League Cup Features 39 Participating Teams, Persib Bandung and Borneo FC Qualify Directly for the Quarter-Finals

A total of 39 clubs from the Super League and Championship will compete for the League Cup title, also known as League Cup 2026/2027. Competition operator I.League has officially held the tournament draw in Jakarta, alongside confirming the competition will run across five separate stages.

The 2026/2027 League Cup is designed as a crossover tournament for clubs from the top two tiers of Indonesian Football. The competition will progress through the group stage, knockout round, quarter-finals, semi-finals, before concluding with the grand final.

For the group phase, all 39 clubs are split into 12 groups divided across western and eastern regions of the country. This regional separation forms four distinct competition zones: East Zone 1, East Zone 2, West Zone 1, and West Zone 2.

Each zone will contain 9 clubs. This opening stage of the League Cup will not only pit clubs from both top divisions against one another, but will also match teams based on their geographic location.

I.League implemented specific restrictions during the draw process. These rules were introduced for security purposes, to ensure clubs with intense historic rivalries are not placed into the same group.

PSS Sleman & PSIM, Persija Jakarta & Persis Solo, plus Arema FC & Persebaya FC were all automatically separated during the draw. Under this regulation, these high-profile rival fixtures can only occur once the tournament progresses past the group stage.

Group stage matches are scheduled to kick off on 3 November 2026. Every club will play exactly two matches: one home fixture and one away fixture.

The group phase will operate as a high-stakes sprint, as only the 1st placed club from each group will advance. This structure means every single match will carry critical weight for clubs looking to remain in the League Cup.

The six group winners from each regional zone will progress into the knockout round. All geographic boundaries will be removed at this stage, allowing clubs from opposite ends of the country to face each other.

A cross-zone format will be used for the knockout round: teams from West Zone 1 will face representatives from East Zone 2, while clubs from West Zone 2 will be matched against teams from East Zone 1.

Home advantage for the knockout round will not be decided by draw. Instead, home field status will be awarded based on each club's performance statistics recorded during the group stage.

The six knockout round winners will be joined by Borneo FC Samarinda and Persib Bandung in the quarter-finals. Both clubs received automatic qualification to the final 8 as Indonesia's representatives in the Southeast Asian inter-club championship.

Unlike the previous knockout round, all quarter-final matchups including home team assignments will be determined via an open unseeded draw.

Following the quarter-finals, the tournament will move to single-leg semi-final matches. The two victorious semi-final teams will meet for the final match at a neutral venue.

This final structure ensures both competing sides will contest the trophy on equal footing, with neither club receiving home advantage.

With 39 total participants drawn from both the Super League and Championship, the League Cup provides an additional competitive platform for Indonesian clubs outside of their regular league fixture calendars.

The road to the trophy will begin in November, and will demand consistent performance from every club right from their opening group match all the way through to the final.

2026/2027 League Cup Draw Results

West Zone 1
Group A: Persija Jakarta, Sumsel United, PSMS Medan
Group B: Bhayangkara FC, Semen Padang, PSPS Pekanbaru
Group C: Dewa United Banten, Persita Tangerang, Persiraja Banda Aceh

West Zone 2
Group D: Java United, Adhyaksa FC Bekasi, PSIS Semarang
Group E: PSIM Yogyakarta, Persikad Depok, Persiku Kudus
Group F: Garudayaksa FC, PSS Sleman, PSGC Ciamis

East Zone 1
Group G: Persebaya Surabaya, PSBS Biak, Kendal Tornado FC
Group H: Persik Kediri, Persis Solo, Deltras FC
Group I: Persijap Jepara, Madura United, Persela Lamongan

East Zone 2
Group J: Bali United, Barito Putera, Persiba Balikpapan
Group K: PSM Makassar, Persipura Jayapura, De Red FC
Group L: Arema FC, Isenmulang Kalteng FC, Rans Nusantara FC.