Indian football is facing one of its most consequential moments in the professional era as the 2025–26 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) remains suspended in uncertainty.
What began as a contractual transition has escalated into a full-blown governance and financial crisis, forcing clubs, players, and administrators into a race against time to prevent lasting damage to the country’s top-tier competition .
At the centre of the impasse is the expiry of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) on December 8, 2025. For over a decade, the MRA formed the commercial backbone of the ISL, ensuring broadcast deals, sponsorship revenue, and centralized league operations. Its expiration without a replacement has left the league without a commercial engine, plunging clubs into what several owners have described as “commercial impossibility.”
The seriousness of the situation became clear on December 31, 2025, when the AIFF issued an urgent directive asking ISL clubs to confirm participation and agree on a competition format by January 1, 2026. This followed a series of emergency coordination meetings throughout late December, highlighting how close the league is to missing an entire season.
A League Without a Commercial Backbone
The immediate trigger for the crisis was the failure of a tender process for ISL commercial rights in October 2025, which attracted zero bidders. Without a broadcast partner or central sponsorship, clubs are now being asked to shoulder operational and production costs themselves an unprecedented shift from the franchise-based model that initially attracted private investment into Indian football.
Under the AIFF’s proposed stopgap arrangements, clubs could be required to contribute anywhere between ₹2.5 crore and ₹4.5 crore each to stage a truncated season. For many franchises already paying player salaries without match revenue, this is an unsustainable burden. Odisha FC has reportedly gone as far as reconsidering participation if central funding is not secured, while other clubs remain undecided.
The AFC Threat Looms Large
Beyond domestic concerns, the crisis carries significant continental implications. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) mandates that clubs must play at least 24 matches in a season to be eligible for Asian competitions such as the AFC Champions League 2. With the ISL unlikely to start before February 2026, meeting that requirement is mathematically impossible under a traditional home-and-away format.
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The AIFF is preparing to request a one-time exemption from the AFC, citing extraordinary legal and administrative circumstances. However, there is no guarantee such leniency will be granted. Failure to secure an exemption would mean Indian clubs losing continental slots, a blow that would hurt not just sporting prestige but also commercial appeal and player recruitment in the long term.
To salvage the season, the AIFF has proposed two shortened formats: a conference-based structure or a single-leg league with no playoffs. While the latter is seen as more cost-effective and logistically feasible, it would limit teams to just 13 matches far below AFC requirements and well short of what clubs need for sporting credibility.
Centralised venues, likely in Goa or Mumbai, are also being considered to reduce travel and operational costs. However, this would strip clubs of home advantage, local fan engagement, and matchday revenue, further diluting the league’s value.
Clubs Divided, Confidence Shaken
The crisis has exposed deep divisions among ISL stakeholders. While clubs like Jamshedpur FC have publicly committed to participating “in the interest of Indian football,” others including Kerala Blasters, FC Goa, Chennaiyin FC, and Odisha FC—have yet to confirm. The reported exit of the City Football Group from Mumbai City FC has only intensified concerns about investor confidence in the league’s long-term stability.
Players and coaches have already begun to feel the consequences. Several foreign footballers have left or gone out on loan, sponsors have paused commitments, and some clubs have asked players to accept pay cuts to keep operations afloat. The professional ecosystem that the ISL painstakingly built over a decade is showing visible cracks.
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In response, the AIFF has unveiled a sweeping 20-year roadmap that would see the federation directly own and operate the top division until 2045. The plan includes immediate promotion and relegation, alignment with the new AIFF constitution, and a revised revenue-sharing model once the league breaks even.
While some club officials view the proposal as a necessary reset, others fear the concentration of power, with the AIFF acting simultaneously as regulator, operator, and rights holder. Concerns over transparency, conflict of interest, and financial realism remain unresolved.
The coming days particularly the Supreme Court hearings scheduled for January 5 are likely to define the immediate future of Indian football. The AIFF must convince the AFC, reassure clubs, and demonstrate it can manage a league once run by a powerful private partner.
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The 2025–26 ISL crisis is no longer just about one delayed season. It is a stress test of governance, trust, and vision. Whether Indian football emerges stronger or slips into prolonged instability will depend on decisions made now decisions that will shape the league, and the sport, for years to come.
