The Indian Super League (ISL) is set to return on February 14, 2026, but the 2025–26 season will be unlike any other in its history.
What was once projected as a stable, commercially driven top-tier football league has instead entered a phase of survival and institutional reset, following months of uncertainty triggered by the expiration of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). The imminent release of draft fixtures on January 15 marks not just the resumption of football, but the beginning of a fundamentally different era for Indian professional football.
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The roots of the crisis lie in December 2025, when the 15-year MRA the backbone of the ISL’s commercial model, formally expired. With no renewal framework in place, the league drifted into limbo, missing its scheduled September start and leaving clubs, players, and broadcasters without clarity. The consequences were severe. City Football Group exited Mumbai City FC, citing the lack of long-term certainty, while several clubs paused football operations. Senior national team players openly warned that Indian football risked “permanent paralysis.”
Resolution only came after intervention at the highest level. A Supreme Court directive led to an emergency meeting chaired by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on January 6, 2026, where the AIFF, clubs, and stakeholders agreed on a stopgap framework to ensure the league’s continuity. The outcome is a heavily compressed, transitional season designed to keep the ecosystem alive rather than commercially thriving.
A Radical Shift in Governance
Perhaps the most consequential change is administrative. For the first time since the league’s inception, the ISL will be owned and operated directly by the AIFF. A new 22-member Governing Council, headed by the federation leadership, will oversee strategic decisions, supported by a Management Committee handling day-to-day operations. Club representation has been formalized, with elected seats ensuring a shared-responsibility model rather than a purely private, investor-led structure.
This shift marks a philosophical departure. The ISL is no longer positioned as a franchise entertainment product alone but as a federation-led competition aligned more closely with global league governance norms.
The 2025–26 season will feature just 91 matches, with 14 teams playing a single-leg round-robin of 13 games each. The familiar playoffs are gone. The team that finishes top of the table will be crowned champions no second chances, no knockout drama.
While pragmatic, the format introduces sharp competitive consequences. With such a short league, every dropped point is magnified. Tactical conservatism is likely, and “draw luck,” whether a club faces strong opponents at home or away, could significantly influence the title race. At the other end, the introduction of relegation adds existential pressure, with the bottom-placed team dropping to the I-League.
To compensate for fewer matches, the AIFF has adopted a Thursday-to-Sunday schedule, clustering fixtures into high-engagement windows. Double-headers on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM kick-offs, are aimed squarely at maximizing broadcast and digital viewership.
This approach reflects economic reality. With reduced inventory, each match must function as an “event.” However, the league will compete for attention with the WPL playoffs and the IPL season, testing whether Indian football can hold its audience in an increasingly crowded sports calendar.
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Financially, the ISL is operating in survival mode. The central budget for the season stands at approximately ₹24.26 crore, a fraction of previous years. Traditional franchise fees have been replaced by a ₹1 crore participation fee per club, reimbursable from central revenues. The AIFF has contributed close to ₹9.77 crore upfront, with flexibility offered to clubs to pay fees in installments.
The downstream impact is visible. Clubs have slashed budgets, renegotiated contracts, and sought voluntary pay cuts from players and staff. Profit is no longer the objective; continuity is. This shift has also influenced squad construction, with clubs prioritizing affordability and short-term competitiveness over marquee signings.
Infrastructure remains another major hurdle. High stadium costs, security issues, and maintenance concerns have forced some clubs to consider playing away-heavy schedules. Mumbai City FC, post-CFG exit, is likely to host several matches in Goa. Inter Kashi, the newly promoted side, will effectively operate as a nomadic team due to ongoing stadium construction in Varanasi. Mohammedan Sporting, too, has indicated a preference for minimizing home matches to reduce overheads.
These compromises underline the fragile economics of Indian club football, where matchday operations themselves can be financially draining.
Continental Stakes and Regulatory Uncertainty
The AIFF has also petitioned the AFC for a one-time exemption from the requirement that league winners play a minimum of 24 matches to qualify for continental competition. With only 13 games per team, ISL champions risk missing out on the AFC Champions League Two unless the exemption is granted. Adding complexity, Mohun Bagan remains under an AFC ban until 2028–29, meaning continental slots could cascade down the table.
The 2025–26 ISL season will not be judged by glamour, revenue or star power. It will be judged by whether it runs on time, retains fan trust, and restores institutional credibility. The introduction of promotion and relegation, the adoption of Football Video Support (FVS), and the return to federation-led governance are all structural steps toward long-term alignment with global football norms.
This is Indian football’s reset season stripped down, unforgiving, and revealing. Survival, not spectacle, is the priority. If the league emerges stable at the other end, it may yet provide the foundation for a more sustainable and credible future.
