New Delhi [India], January 17 (ANI): The ASMITA Football League 2025-26 marked another milestone in grassroots women's football with the successful completion of the City League phase across the country. The competition will now move into the Zonal and National stages, with 20 state associations participating in four zones.

The City Leagues were conducted in the under-13 girls' category in a 9v9 format, with 49 leagues organised across India by 25 state associations. Each league featured eight teams, totalling 392 teams nationwide, according to the AIFF website.

The City League phase was held in a knockout format, with seven matches per league, totalling 343 games. The competitions attracted over 6,500 players, providing young footballers with a chance to showcase their talent.

With the City League phase concluded, the ASMITA Football League 2025-26 will now proceed to the Zonal League stage, featuring 20 State Associations.

The Zonal Leagues will be conducted across four zones (North, South, East and West), with five teams in each zone, and matches will be played in a single round-robin format.

The West Zone, with Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and hosts Gujarat, will be played from January 28 to February 2 in Bhavnagar. The East Zone, consisting of Tripura, Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim and hosts Nagaland, will take place from February 5 to 10 in Chumoukedima.

Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and host Punjab will compete in the North Zone, to be held from January 25 to 30 in Mahilpur. Bengaluru will host the South Zone from January 26 to 31, with Andaman & Nicobar, Kerala, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh and host Karnataka participating.

At the end of the zonal stage, the champions and runners-up from each zone will qualify for the eight-team National Round to determine the ultimate winners of the ASMITA Football League 2025-26. (ANI)