In a development that has sent shockwaves through Indian football, the Indian Super League (ISL) the country’s top-tier football competition has been conspicuously left out of the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) competitions calendar for the 2025–26 season. ISL misses out on the calendar
While other domestic tournaments like the I-League, IWL, Durand Cup, and Federation Cup feature prominently, the absence of the ISL has reignited serious concerns about its future. At the core of the crisis lies the unresolved renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), with legal and structural overtones that could shape Indian football’s trajectory in the coming years.
The Omission and the Silence
The AIFF released its annual competitions calendar earlier this week. Covering events from July 2025 to May 2026, it features a full slate of age-group competitions, women’s leagues, legacy tournaments, and multiple tiers of the men’s pyramid including I-League, I-League 2, and the newly introduced I-League 3. Yet the ISL, which has served as the premier men’s league since being elevated to the top tier in 2019, is absent.
This omission is not accidental. It comes against the backdrop of a contractual standoff between AIFF and FSDL, the league’s commercial operators. The MRA, a 15-year agreement signed in 2010, expires in December 2025. Under the terms, FSDL pays AIFF ₹50 crore annually in exchange for control over key commercial rights and league operations. With no new agreement signed and growing friction over governance, revenue-sharing, and the role of stakeholders, the future of the ISL hangs in the balance.
What’s the Master Rights Agreement (MRA)?
The MRA governs the commercial relationship between AIFF and FSDL. Signed in 2010, it effectively handed over operational and commercial rights of the ISL which was launched in 2014 to FSDL, a joint venture backed by Reliance and Star Sports. FSDL manages sponsorship, broadcast, league scheduling, and central revenue generation.
In return, AIFF receives a fixed sum each year. Over time, as the ISL grew in prominence and was granted top-tier status in 2019, the agreement became central to the ecosystem. However, as the deal approaches expiry, questions are being raised about whether the league’s future should continue under a private operator’s control, especially given recent calls for more federation oversight.
Legal Tangles and Supreme Court Oversight
A significant part of the current deadlock stems from pending legal developments. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear matters related to the AIFF constitution on July 14, particularly its governance structure and autonomy.
Earlier this year, the draft of the new constitution suggested that the top-tier league must be managed, owned, and regulated directly by AIFF. If ratified, this would upend the existing MRA framework and bring league operations back under the federation’s purview.
Given this uncertainty, FSDL and ISL clubs are in a wait-and-watch mode. “We’ve been told that ISL won’t kick off unless the MRA’s future is clear,” a club official told The Times of India. “Everyone knows that the MRA cannot be finalised overnight. With the Supreme Court expected to finalise the new AIFF constitution, everyone is on tenterhooks.”
Impact on ISL Clubs and the Transfer Market
The uncertainty has already affected clubs operationally. While some like Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mumbai City FC, and Bengaluru FC are quietly planning for the new season, overall activity in the transfer market has slowed considerably. Clubs are hesitant to make high-investment signings without clarity on league structure, start dates, and revenue streams.
Moreover, preseason training, which usually begins in July, has been delayed across most franchises. Player contract negotiations, sponsorship deals, and foreign signings are all in a state of limbo. Club CEOs and sporting directors are having to prepare for multiple scenarios a shortened season, a delayed start, or even a year without ISL.
The AIFF calendar shows Durand Cup kicking off in mid-July, followed by the Super Cup in September. If ISL fails to commence in time, these tournaments could effectively become the only major stages for top-tier Indian clubs, many of which are also reluctant to participate in these competitions without clarity on the ISL.
Alternative Models Being Discussed
With the MRA in flux, discussions around alternative league structures have resurfaced. Some stakeholders believe that it is time for AIFF to reintegrate league operations and create a merged model where ISL and I-League function under a unified football pyramid, much like in European systems.
Others propose a revamped ISL under new commercial leadership or even the evolution of I-League into the premier league, with gradual expansion and redistribution of television rights.
FSDL is believed to be open to continuing its involvement, but with renegotiated terms that reflect evolving commercial realities. “The problem is not just about money,” said a person involved in negotiations. “It’s about control, autonomy, and the legal framework in which Indian football operates.”
AIFF, FSDL, and the Politics of Football Governance
This dispute also underscores the long-standing governance tensions in Indian football. AIFF has faced criticism over the years for ceding too much control to FSDL, while FSDL has often been accused of prioritising commercial viability over structural integrity.
The upcoming Supreme Court decision is likely to bring major structural shifts. If the new constitution mandates that all top-level football be owned and operated by AIFF, it could signal the end of the current ISL model or a forced transition into a new hybrid format.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey has so far remained tight-lipped, reiterating only that “all decisions will be taken in the best interest of Indian football.” Behind the scenes, however, both FSDL and AIFF are preparing contingency plans based on the outcome of the court case.
What Happens Next?
As of now, the next major event that could determine ISL’s fate is the Supreme Court hearing on July 14. If the new AIFF constitution is approved and mandates greater federation control, the MRA may either not be renewed or significantly rewritten.
FSDL could seek a six-month extension to complete the 2025–26 ISL season under transitional arrangements, but that too would require broad consensus from all stakeholders including clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, and AIFF.
For fans, the situation is deeply frustrating. With less than a month to go before the traditional preseason, there is no fixture list, no public update from ISL, and no clarity on whether the 2025–26 edition will take place at all.
Meanwhile, the I-League, India’s erstwhile top division, is scheduled to start on October 19 and run till April 2026, per the AIFF calendar. For now, it is the only confirmed senior men’s league for the upcoming season a significant symbolic shift.
Conclusion
The omission of ISL from AIFF’s official calendar is more than a bureaucratic anomaly. It reflects deeper systemic questions about Indian football’s future who controls it, who profits from it, and who charts its direction.
With legal, commercial, and sporting considerations all intersecting, the 2025–26 season may become a defining chapter in the history of Indian football. Whether the ISL returns in its current avatar, evolves into a new form, or gives way to a unified domestic league under AIFF control, depends on the decisions made over the next two months.
Until then, the future of ISL and by extension, top-tier Indian football remains in limbo.
