ISL: Talal lifts Jamshedpur, Chhetri becomes oldest goalscorer in Bengaluru win

Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC began their Indian Super League 2025-26 campaigns with victories on Sunday, as Madih Talal’s early strike and a record-breaking goal from Sunil Chhetri headlined the action.

At the JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur FC secured a 1-0 win over Mohammedan Sporting Club. Talal struck in the ninth minute, collecting possession outside the box and driving a low effort into the bottom corner with a slight deflection off a defender. The midfielder’s goal proved decisive and earned him the Player of the Match award.

Jamshedpur dominated early proceedings, with Raphael Messi Bouli and Stephen Eze coming close to extending the lead. Mohammedan grew into the contest after the break but struggled to seriously test goalkeeper Albino Gomes, as the hosts held firm to claim all three points.

Chhetri sets new ISL milestone

In Bengaluru, the Blues registered a 2-0 home win against newly formed SC Delhi. After sustained pressure in the first half, Sivasakthi Narayanan opened the scoring before the interval, finishing from close range following a headed assist inside the box.

The highlight of the evening came deep into stoppage time when Sunil Chhetri found the net on a counterattack. At 41 years and 196 days, Chhetri became the oldest goalscorer in ISL history, surpassing the previous record. His late strike sealed the result in front of the home crowd at the Kanteerava Stadium.

Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had earlier produced a key save to deny SC Delhi in the first half, ensuring Bengaluru carried momentum into the second period.

With wins for Jamshedpur and Bengaluru, the ISL 2025-26 season gathered early pace as teams look to build momentum in the opening rounds.