Record-breaking league season sets the stage for FC Goa’s greatest hunt yet
In football, numbers don’t lie. And when you look at FC Goa’s numbers this season in the Indian Super League (ISL), they don’t just impress – they command respect.
A Club record of 48 points in 24 matches. That’s an average of two points per game, the kind of consistency that usually defines champions. In most ISL seasons, these numbers would have been enough to finish at the very top.
Then there’s the 14 wins – the most by any Goa side in a single ISL league campaign, surpassing even their legendary 2019-20 season when they were crowned champions. The 12-game unbeaten streak during the season was the club’s third best in history, further proof of their sheer dominance.
And if goals win games, the Men in Orange made sure they were never short of them. A staggering 23 consecutive matches with at least one goal – the longest such run by any team in the history of the league. No other side has been this relentless in attack, this consistent in delivering results, this determined to fight till the very end.
Yet, despite these remarkable numbers, FC Goa finished second.
The unfinished business of the league title
If there’s one thing that fans may still be grappling with, it’s that the Gaurs, despite playing like champions, were edged out by Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the race for the Shield. But let’s put things in perspective – Mohun Bagan, with their unparalleled spending power, went all in as usual, assembling a squad filled with the nation’s top talents and world-class foreign stars, signing them at wages that only a select few clubs can afford.
But even then, only one team truly humbled them this season – FC Goa.
Under the lights of Fatorda, in a game that will be remembered for years to come, Brison Fernandes, Goa’s own homegrown hero, rose to the occasion with a stunning brace to secure a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Kolkata heavyweights.
It was more than just a win – it was a statement. A reminder that Manolo Marquez’s belongs among the elite, not because of how much they spend, but because of the football they play and the talent they build.
The best of the best: Goa’s place in ISL history
Beyond this season alone, FC Goa continue to build a legacy unmatched in Indian football.
Their eighth semi-final appearance in 11 ISL seasons makes them the most consistent team in the competition’s history. Year after year, the Gaurs prove that they are never just passengers in the ISL journey – they are among the few who dictate how the story unfolds.
And when you take a step back and analyze their last two seasons combined, the numbers become even more astonishing:
- 46 matches played
- 27 wins
- Just 7 defeats
- 93 points accumulated
This isn’t just form – this is sustained excellence.
No wonder, then, that Goa have now reclaimed their position at the top of the all-time ISL table, with a staggering 334 points from 202 league matches. Mumbai City FC (331) may be close, but Kerala Blasters FC, in third, are nearly 80 points behind.
For over a decade, the Men in Orange have set the gold standard for attacking football, tactical brilliance and consistency. And this season, they have once again reminded everyone why they belong at the very top.
One last step: a trophy that would complete Goa’s cabinet
FC Goa are no strangers to silverware. They have conquered Indian football’s grandest stages before, winning the Super Cup in 2018-19, the ISL League Shield in 2019-20, and the Durand Cup in 2021.
But the ISL Cup? That remains the final piece of the puzzle.
For all their dominance, for all their record-breaking campaigns, the title of ISL Cup winners is the one accolade that has remained just out of reach. And now, they are just three matches away from changing that once and for all.
With a direct ticket to the semi-finals, the Gaurs now stand at the cusp of something truly special. Their opponent? That will be decided in the playoffs, where the third-placed team will battle the sixth-placed team for the right to face them.
The semi-finals will be played over two legs, and at the start of next month, Goa will take the field with one goal in mind – to reach their third-ever ISL final. They came close in 2015 and 2018-19, but heartbreak followed on both occasions. Now, they have a golden chance to rewrite history.
The hunger is there. The form is undeniable. The belief is unshaken.
And as history has shown, FC Goa never stop fighting.
